Star Wars The New Jedi Order: One Day More
by Naitch03
Summary: While the Empire and the New Republic work to prepare themselves for the comming invasion, a new source of informatrion on their foes arrives from the most unlikely of places- yet another dimension. But can their visitor save both their world and his?
1. Chapter 1: The Long Halloween

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Disclaimer:

Star Wars and related Characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Arts. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and related characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Any original characters are owned by the author. No profit is being made from this in any way, shape, or form.

**A/N:** Parts of this chapter were taken or adapted from the novel _Star by Star_ by Troy Denning. Special thanks to my returning beta/editor, Fallenstar2. See bottom of story for more notes.

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away….

**Star Wars**

**The New Jedi Order**

**Into the Night**

* * *

It's been over eight years since the defeat of Palpatine and the destruction of the second Death Star. The New Republic and the Empire, both bolstered by a new peace treaty and a common enemy, have been working together to prepare for the coming threat, though it is still largely unknown. On Earth, the Jedi Council - though no longer having to remain hidden there - have maintained a presence and continue to assist the Slayers. While Buffy oversees this as chief liaison between the two groups, Dawn has taken over in the infirmary as the lead healer and is assisted by her young daughter Vi, whose unusual Force powers are starting to come into their own. Despite the knowledge that bad times are coming, there is peace and stability in the galaxy and all are willing to take advantage of that.

But all is not well. There are new rumblings in the Force. Somewhere, an unstoppable evil sweeps forwards, destroying all in its path. And our heroes are about to collide with a whole new reality - and both of their salvations rest in the hands of one young Jedi…

* * *

**Dramatis Personae**

**Jedi Council**

Buffy Kenobi; Jedi Master (female Human)

Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (male Human)

Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (male Human)

Roan Shryne; Jedi Master (male Human)

Zett Jukassa; Jedi Master (male Human)

Aayla Secura; Jedi Master(female Twi'lek)

Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)

Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)

Teryl Sibwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)

**Praxeum**

Serra Keto; Jedi Saber Master (human female)

Olee Starstone; Jedi Knight, Head Archivist (female human)

Dawn Summers; Jedi Knight, Head Healer (female human)

Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master, Headmaster (male human)

Mara Jade; Jedi Knight (female human)

**New Republic**

Leia Solo; Jedi Knight, Chief of State, New Republic (female human)

Han Solo; Captain, _Millennium Falcon_ (human male)

Chewbacca; co-pilot, _Millennium Falcon_ (male Wookie)

Padmé Skywalker; Jedi Representative (female human)

Joyce Antilles; Jedi Knight, Head of NR Intelligence (female human)

Wedge Antilles; General, New Republic (male human)

Xander Harris; General, New Republic(male human)

See-Threepio; Droid

Artoo-Deetoo; Droid

Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (human male)

Talon Karrde; Smuggler, Captain, Wild Karrde (Human male)

**Watcher's Council**

Rupert Giles; Head, Watcher's Council (male human)

Faith Lehane; Senior Slayer (female human)

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce; Watcher (male human)

Winifred Burkle; Council Tech Specialist (female human)

Spike; Council Operative (male vampire)

Angel; Council Operative (male vampire)

**3****rd**** World**

Anakin Solo, Jedi Apprentice (male human)

Jaina Solo Jedi Apprentice (female human)

Jacen Solo; Jedi Apprentice (male human)

Tahiri Veila; Jedi Apprentice (female human)

Kyp Durron; Jedi Knight (male human)

Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master (male human)

Mara Jade Skywalker; Jedi Master (female human)

Han Solo; Captain, _Millennium Falcon_ (human male)

Leia Solo; Copilot, _Millennium Falcon _(female human)

Danni Quee, Scientist, Force Adept (female human)

Tenel Ka Djo, Jedi Apprentice (female Hapan)

Zekk, Jedi Apprentice (male human)

Alema Rar, Jedi Apprentice (female Twi'lek)

**Yuuzhan Vong**

Supreme Overlord Shimmra (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Nom Anor, Executor (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Onimi, Shamed One (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Nas Choka; Warmaster (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Harrar; Priest, (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Nen Yim; Master Shaper (Female Yuuzhan Vong)

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**The Long Halloween**

* * *

Buffy stood on the balcony overlooking the massive ballroom in the Watcher's Council's headquarters. Once, the elite of England would travel from all over to the massive residence in Leeds to partake in the lavish balls its former owner had thrown. When the Council had taken over, those parties had become more political as the Watcher's struggled to rebuild after the First's attack and you could normally find young Slayers serving drinks and cocktails to the Watchers' guests

That practice stopped as soon as Faith and the rest of the Sunnydale survivors arrived.

Once things had settled down for the Slayers, they began an annual tradition of a Halloween party, where the slayers and Watchers could let their hair down for a night and just enjoy life. Costumes were optional- though Giles had stressed to Faith and some of the more boisterous (**or rambunctious**) Slayers that clothing was not. Xander's disappointment of that rule ended when he married Aayla Secura, Jedi Master and friend to Buffy. Andrew's still hasn't.

Buffy smiled as she spied the last surviving Scooby on the dance floor, showing off his most successful dance move. Aayla, Force bless her, was doing her best not to laugh too hard as Xander, hero of the Slayers and General in the New Republic Fleet did the Snoopy dance.

_Got to hand it to him, he can still move._

Buffy glanced over to see the ghostly, pale-blue figure of her other best friend. "Yeah, he still does." She paused and thought for a moment. "You know, I should really tape this and send it out to the fleet…"

_Ha!_ Willow exclaimed, watching Xander fondly. _I wish I could talk to him, too._

Buffy shrugged. "Well, Tara and the coven are doing the communication spell tonight… they could probably call you back…"

The ghostly Willow shook her head. _No. There's no telling what could happen. I mean, it might work- but it could also cut me off from you and the rest of the Jedi, too. Just pass on my love, will ya?_

"I always do,." Buffy replied.

_So, why are you up here, anyway?_ Willow asked. _I'd think you'd be down there, mingling with the troops._

"I'm just taking a break."

_And your husband?_

Buffy smirked. "He's taking a nap." She giggled lightly. "We're not as young as we used to be, you know." She absently fingered her shoulder-length blonde hair, now streaked through with grey. Even Slayer healing didn't stop some of the ravages of time; and while Buffy may not have the wrinkles one might expect to see on someone in their mid-forties, she certainly was getting the grey hair.

She wasn't alone - time had taken its toll on everyone. Buffy spied her brother and sister-in-law dancing slow and close on the dance floor, oblivious to the fast-paced music or the throngs of teenage girls around them. Padmé's hair, which she still wore long, was also starting to show grey streaks, though she was still as beautiful today as she was nearly a decade earlier. Anakin had cut his own hair short and had taken to wearing casual earth clothes instead of his old Jedi outfits on most days. Every time she looked at them, Buffy always said a small prayer that her marriage to Obi-Wan would be that strong in their elder years.

Though it had taken them quite a while, Buffy and Obi-Wan had finally been married two years after Dawn's rather eventful wedding in a small ceremony at the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. Luke's new academy had been a beautiful setting and quite a few of Buffy's earth friends jumped at the chance to cross over to see it. They had said their vows in the main audience chamber, both in their dress robes, Obi-Wan's own hair now fully silver (which he readily attributed to the Skywalker kids - the elder kids, that is) and was presided over by Anakin himself. Since then, Buffy and Obi-Wan had continued to stay mostly in what Fred called the 2nd world, living and teaching at the Praxeum, though they visited Earth as much as possible.

Buffy shook herself out of her reverie and glanced over at Willow. "I know you didn't come to just shoot the breeze, Will. What's going on?"

_Something big, _the apparition replied. _You've been feeling ripple in the Force?_ Buffy nodded. _Well, I've been feeling tidal waves. Something is happening that is disrupting the Force to such a degree that's never been felt before. And you need to be ready for it._

"It can't be the invasion, can it?" Buffy asked. "I thought we still had time…"

_Oh, you've got about a decade until that happens, if the Emperor's calculations were correct. It's something else…_

"Can't you give me anything?" Buffy pleaded lightly. Willow shook her head.

_I'm sorry. I may be one with the Force, but that doesn't mean I know everything. Just be ready._ Willow smiled sadly. _Tell my daughter I love her,_ she asked as she faded away.

"It's what I do." she repeated softly to herself. Buffy sighed sadly, then turned back to the party. But she found herself unable to truly enjoy it, now. She felt something, in the back of her mind… a thought, a feeling, trying to break through.

_What could it be?_ she thought, closing her eyes and reaching out into the Force.

* * *

_The flames crackled out. Anakin opened his eyes and saw yellow glow lichen shining bright, the last wisps of vapor cloud evaporating into the hot air. He lay there for a long time, taking stock of his condition, trying to fight off his anguish. It took five full breaths to establish that the pain was caused only by his old wound, ten heartbeats more to bring it under control._

_Gradually, Anakin grew aware of the battle meld again, of the strike team's mounting elation. Pushing his agony aside, calling on the Force, he lifted himself to his feet. The Jedi were advancing on the left side of the grashal, driving back the last handful of shapers and guards, slashing nutrient vines and cloning pods as they went. Through the pulsing tangle of stalks, he could not see what they were hunting - but he could feel it, over by the grashal wall, trapped a little below floor level, unsettled, wild, ferocious. Afraid._

_Behind Anakin, the long blaster boomed. He felt panic from Tahiri and turned to find her rushing into the grashal. A ball of fire followed her through the breach and exploded into the monolith standing there and Tahiri went flying._

_Anakin rushed to help, but she was up before he took two steps. "Magma spitters! We're cut off."_

_Anakin did not bother to look. "Tekli?"_

_Tahiri pointed behind him, where the Chadra-Fan was sprinkling stinksalts on Tesar's forked tongue. The Barabel was smiling, but not waking._

_"Take him ... and go." Every word filled Anakin's belly with fire. He pointed toward the others. "You may need to cut a way out."_

_"'You'?" Tahiri said. "I'm not going -"_

_"Do it!" Anakin snapped. When Tahiri's face fell, he spoke more gently. "You need ... to help Tekli. I'll be along."_

_"Yes, Tahiri," Tekli said. She cast a knowing glance at Anakin, then kneeled astride the Barabel and began to slap him. "Tesar is not responding. I cannot move him and work on him both."_

_Tahiri looked doubtful, but could hardly refuse to help. Blinking back a tear, she stretched up to kiss Anakin on the lips - then caught herself and shook her head. "No - for that, you have to come back."_

_Anakin gave her his best lopsided smile. "Soon, then."_

_"Soon," Tahiri repeated. "May the Force be with you."_

* * *

Dawn sat at one of the small tables that lined the dance floor and sipped her drink, watching as her nine-year-old daughter Vi bopped to the music with the other Slayers. She smiled at the girls antics- they reminded her of how she was so many years ago. Then she thought back to another Halloween party, and silently thanked god that there was NO alcohol at this party.

"You know, she wanted to dress as a roller girl," Zett said with a smile as he sat down next to his wife. "I had to put my foot down on that one."

Dawn sighed. "Thank god."

"Then she wanted to know why she couldn't." Zett smirked as Dawn dropped her head to the table with a groan.

"Please tell me you found some BS reason and didn't tell her the truth." She pleaded.

"What, do you actually think I want to tell our daughter how her mother ended up passed out on the Council lawn?" Zett asked, chuckling when she shot him a glare. "Well, I can't tell someone whose training with a lightsaber that roller skates are too dangerous. I just said that I'd prefer if she spent this Halloween as herself. She said okay."

Dawn nodded as she watched her daughter. After she and Zett were married, they had spent a few months at the Council building helping the Slayers and raising Vi. All too soon though, Zett began traveling across the barrier to assist Luke at his newly created Praxeum. While the Council recognized Luke as the head of the new school, Zett became his second and assisted him in teaching the newest generation of Jedi. Indeed, his blending of old and new teachings proved beneficial in bridging the gap between the younglings who had been rescued from the purge and were now approaching their teens, and the new group of force-sensitive recruits that Luke had gathered during his travels.

Dawn, who worried about going into battles as a Jedi knight while she had a daughter at home, found a new purpose for both Councils as she began studying medicine and Jedi healing techniques. Soon she moved to the Praxeum with Vi to continue her studies and raise her daughter with her husband. This proved beneficial to everyone as Dawn was able to spend years learning ancient Jedi healing techniques, then travel back to Earth where only months had passed to heal any injured Slayers. Soon Dawn had become the head of the Watcher's Council medical wing.

The biggest surprise for the both of them had been Vi herself. The young girl had already proven to be as feisty, inquisitive, mischievous and intelligent as her two namesakes. By the age of five she had already started hacking into her parents computers and several of the temples droids, a fact that a young Jaina Solo was excited about when she and her brothers came to visit (Dawn shuddered to think about how they would be when they were old enough to start training at the temple). But even more astonishing was the mastery of the Force she was already showing. During a routing training session in which Zett had brought Vi along with him, one of the students was badly injured when a remote unexpectedly exploded next to his face. While Zett rushed to call in Dawn, Vi, who had only been six at the time, had calmly walked over to the moaning apprentice and put her tiny hands over the wound. Mere minutes later, much to the astonishment of a just arrived Dawn and Anakin, who had been visiting, the wound was completely healed and Vi was passed out on the floor. Further investigation by Anakin showed that Vi had an instinctual control over very advanced Force-healing techniques that Dawn and Anakin himself were still trying to learn. Thankfully, the only adverse reactions they could discern for Vi was that it tired her small body out rather quickly, though with practice and age it should cause her no ill effects.

"We don't get to Earth nearly enough anymore," Dawn remarked. "The Slayers miss Vi and I know she misses them. And so much time passes for her between visits…"

"I know," Zett said. "Truth be told, I miss this place, too." He paused, thinking. "But now we'll be back here more, and Vi can start to make new friends with the younger Slayers."

"Yeah…" Dawn trailed off as she felt something through the Force. She looked too her husband. "Do you feel…"

"Yeah." Zett nodded. "Pain, anguish, fear, loss…" He looked to Dawn, "but from where?"

* * *

_"Lowie?" Anakin called, using the Force to make his weak voice carry.  
_

_He reached out, but felt only the same hazy Yuuzhan Vong presence as before. The newcomer turned, revealing the profile of a sandy-haired human, and raised an old E-11 blaster rifle._

_Anakin was already behind a planting bin, activating his com-link. "Impostor!" he warned. "Trying for pens."_

_  
__The blaster fire crescendoed to a deafening roar, as did the Jedi's frustration. The firing angles were impossible. A grenade detonated somewhere, and Jaina yelled for a charge._

_The door membrane began to roll upward, revealing forty pairs of Yuuzhan Vong feet waiting to rush inside. Anakin opened himself to the Force completely, drawing it into himself through the power of his emotions - not through his anger or fear like a Dark Jedi, but through his love for his family and his fellow Jedi Knights, through his faith in the Jedi purpose and the promise of the future. The Force poured in from all sides, filling him with a swirling maelstrom of power and purpose, saturating him and devouring him. There was nothing to be frightened of, no reason to grieve. He could feel it flowing into him and himself flowing into it. Anakin was the Force, and the Force was Anakin._

_Anakin rose. His body emitted a faint aura of light - the glow of his cells burning out - and the air crackled around him. His injuries no longer pained him. He was acutely aware of everything in the grashal - the musty smell of the droning thud bugs, the sultry heat rising from the planting bins, the huffing breath of his fellow Jedi, even the Yuuzhan Vong. Their presence was as distinct to him as that of his own companions, almost as though the Force had somehow expanded to include them._

* * *

Vi laughed, gasping for breath as she collapsed into her chair. She was sitting with Rona, Belle and Molly, the last three survivors of her mother's original group of Slayers. The three had sort of adopted Vi, looking out for her whenever she was on Earth (not nearly enough for their liking), and they all looked on her as a little sister. Vi, for her part, looked on them as older sisters and confidants, teachers of Earth customs (which she constantly needed help with, as she spent most of her time in the 2nd world), and all-around friends.

"So, do you have parties this fun on Yavin?" Rona asked, sipping her Coke. She has spiked hers and the others with rum, but left Vi's drink alone - she did not want a pissed off Jedi on her case and between Dawn, Buffy, Joyce and Mara, that was four too many.

Vi laughed and shook her head. "We have fun, but no big parties. I can't imagine Uncle Luke dancing to this stuff. Aunt Mara, though…"

"You really need to come here more often," Belle complained. "We don't get ta see ya nearly enough anymore!"

"Yeah, it's been - what, two years for you?" Molly asked. Vi sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Life of a Jedi healer-in-training. But I do have some good news about that."

"What?" Rona asked.

"Well, Uncle Anakin thinks that I'll get more experience with my 'healing hands', as he calls them, but working over here in the infirmary. So it looks like I'll be staying for a while, at least."

"Wicked!" Belle exclaimed with a smile. "We need ta take you shopping ta celebrate!"

"Like you needed an excuse to…" Vi trialed off as she started to feel something in the Force - great pain, anguish - she shuddered at the feelings. Molly noticed this immediately and put a gentle hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Vi? What is it?" she asked. The girl looked up at her with pained eyes.

"Something's coming."

* * *

_Firing as he ran, Anakin raced along the rising door. Every bolt blasted a Yuuzhan Vong foot. Muffled roars reverberated through the membrane. Ahead of him, half a dozen warriors dropped and rolled into the grashal. He blasted these before they could rise, then reached the other end and stroked the tickle pad. The door lowered again._

_"Hutt breath!" Jaina cursed over the comlink. "She's escaping."_

_Anakin could feel it, too. The voxyn was moving down and away. He activated his own comlink. "The impostor must have opened an escape tunnel." It no longer hurt to speak, but his aura had gone from faint to bright. His cells were burning like fire. "Jacen, you're in charge. Take everyone and go after her."_

_Jaina's surprise at not having her own name called carried through the Force like a shout across water, but she stifled any resentment she felt and said, "Can't get there, Little Brother."_

_"The path will clear."_

_Anakin slashed the membrane tickle pad and circled toward the empty voxyn pen. He could feel Yuuzhan Vong ahead, crouching behind the last row of planting bins, secure in the knowledge that help was coming. That changed a moment later, when Anakin began to pour blaster fire into their flank. His angle was poor for head shots and his bolts too weak to penetrate vonduun crab armor, but by the time the Yuuzhan Vong realized that, they were being overrun by Jedi._

_A plasma ball roared through the grashal door and set fire to a twenty-meter swath of cloning vines. Anakin charged back toward the melted membrane, miniature forks of lightning dancing off his arms and legs, the Force swirling through him like fire, burning more ferociously every moment. He was completely filled with the strength of the light side now; his injured body could hold no more. The energy was burning its way out of him, consuming a vessel too weakened to contain it._

_Yuuzhan Vong - their feet fully intact - poured in five abreast. He dropped the first rank from fifteen meters out, his blaster pistol singing out twice between each step, every bolt burning through a face or a throat. The volcano cannon roared again, and a sphere of white fire blossomed in front of him, seemingly from nowhere. Anakin dived and rolled into the wall, hit boots-first, sprang into a back flip, returned to his feet ten meters from the explosion._

_"Anakin!" Jaina's cry resembled a scream._

Go!_ He commanded her through the Force. _She's getting away!

_The blaster sang out in Anakin's hand, dropping Yuuzhan Vong as fast as it could fire. More warriors poured in. A razor bug buried itself in his shoulder, his jumpsuit half disintegrated by the Force energy escaping his body and no longer much protection. He allowed the impact to spin him around, fired again and once more, heard the depletion alarm. The Yuuzhan Vong hurled handfuls of thud bugs and rushed, already pullin__g amphistaffs off their waists._

_Anakin threw the blaster pistol at the first and dropped him and leapt the second, thumbing his lightsaber to life in the air. He landed in front of the entrance and began a whirling dance of slash and parry, blocking once and striking twice, every attack a killing blow. His aura was burning so brightly that he cast shadows behind his foes. He batted the blade left to right, overpowering two blocks to open two throats, then sent another warrior tumbling with a hook kick to the head._

_And still they came, piercing Anakin in three places, one amphistaff sinking its fangs into his flesh. The Force scalded the poison from his system before he felt it, and the new wounds troubled him less than the old one - but there were a dozen more warriors behind them, and he could not hold forever. He killed another, then another, took a crippling slash to his thigh, and gave ground. The Yuuzhan Vong rushed, trying to slip past to the right._

* * *

Tara looked around at the assembled witches. "Are we ready to begin?" she asked. She was in a small room, deep within the Council's main building that had been designated as the coven's Sanctum Sanctorum, the room blessed and warded by the high priestess Althenea that the Council's coven used for any ceremonies or rituals they needed to perform. And once a year they performed a ceremony to contact the dead - for some it was for closure; for others it was to gather information on what the big bads were planning. The dead were a surprisingly good source of info on the demon world, it turns out.

Tonight they were prepared to once more contact the dead. The coven was a small one, led by Tara, and was filled with witches and a few slayers who had been magically inclined either before they were activated, or had expressed interest after they came to live at the Council building. Also present was Mara Jade Skywalker, who had asked Tara to teach her about the other power she had inherited from her mother in the hopes that she wouldn't fall into darkness like Willow had. Buffy had told her once that Willow was proud that she asked Tara for help and that knowledge filled her with a sense of pride.

As the witches signaled their readiness, Tara bowed her head. "Then let us begin." She lit a single candle and the rest of the twelve women followed suit. "Lord Hades, hear our plea. Let us once more speak with those whom you hold dominion over… send them to us now so we may seek their wisdom, their guidance…Lord Hades, hear our pleas…"

* * *

_The longblaster roared from the pen area, blowing a head-sized hole through one Yuuzhan Vong and a fist-sized hole through the one behind him. Anakin launched himself into a back flip and landed five meters away. His aura flickered wildly as his cells began to burn and burst. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder and saw Jaina peering over the pit wall, tears streaming down her cheeks, the longblaster propped against her shoulder. Jacen was beside her, likewise weeping, trying to pull her away._

Go!_ Anakin said through the Force. _I can't hold.

_Anakin's aura flashed and dimmed, flashed again and dimmed more, his cells rupturing in chain reactions, the cycles coming faster and faster as less of him remained to contain the energy. He felt himself not exactly departing, but melting back into the Force. He pulled his last thermal detonator off his harness and thumbed the timer three clicks._

Go now.

_"Anakin, I can't!" Jaina commed._

_Anakin raised the detonator so his brother and sister could see. _Thirty seconds_. He released the trigger. _Take her, Jacen. Kiss Tahiri for me.

_With the charging warriors almost on him again, Anakin threw the detonator across the grashal. He wasn't conscious of using the Force to guide it, but he must have, because it hit the impostor in the head._

_Anakin was too busy parrying to see what happened for the next few seconds, but when he finally managed to spring away from his attackers - he was no longer strong enough to flip or cartwheel - the impostor was gathering himself up, rubbing his head and searching for what had struck him. Even from thirty meters, his broken nose and misshapen eye orbit identified him clearly as Nom Anor._

_When the executor's gaze fell on the silver sphere, his real eye grew as large as his plaeryin bol. He reached down._

_  
__Anakin used the Force to nudge the sphere away, then caught an amphistaff in the ribs and went down hard, letting his lightsaber fall from his hand. His aura was only a faint glow, flickering between dim and nonexistent. The maelstrom inside was dying away now, flowing back into the Force._

_Nom Anor rushed for the detonator again. Anakin waited, waited until the executor was almost on it, then reached out with the Force one last time, rolling the sphere toward the cargo pod._

_He did not hear the angry curse that followed, nor did he see Nom Anor fleeing at a dead run. His aura burst forth once more, a sight of pure brilliant white energy…_

_And then, Anakin was gone. As was his body._

* * *

One by one, the candles flickered out and died. The room began to shake, and the power became almost palpable. Most of the coven looked to Tara, who had stopped chanting and whose brow was furrowed in confusion.

"This isn't normal…"

"Mara?" a witch named Tiffany asked and Tara looked over at the Jedi, whose back was arched and head was thrown back, her mouth open in agony, though no scream came out. Tara through at first that she was having some kind of seizure, but reaching out telepathically to her she realized she was merely feeling someone else's pain through the Force. She began to rise so that she could go to Mara and help her, when suddenly she felt the magic being drained from her. She collapsed to her hands and knees and saw that the others had fallen as well - and then all coherent thought fled as the magic coalesced into a bright blue ball of energy in the center of the circle.

* * *

It was strange. One minute the party was going in full swing - and then, suddenly, all of the Slayers stopped and tensed, their senses going wild. It only took the Watchers a moment to realize something was happening, but by then all of the Jedi grasped their heads in pain.

Then to really drive the point home, the lights flickered and died and a siren began wailing throughout the building.

Spike, who was helping Buffy to her feet, looked over at Wesley. "What the bloody hell is that noise!"

"The wards have been breached!" the watcher exclaimed. "But I don't know which ones…"

"It's the transfer wards," Buffy said, wincing as she stood. She had been heading down the stairs when the wave of pain had hit hard and she tumbled down the stairs. "Someone has crossed over."

"But where?" Wesley asked.

Tara was the first to come to and she groaned as she pulled herself into the sitting position. "Accendo," she intoned and a pale light blossomed into existence over the room, revealing the near dozen other witches pulling themselves up-

And the lone figure lying in the center of the circle.

Cautiously she crawled over to the body and gently rolled it to its back. At once she saw sandy brown hair matted with blood; a torn jumpsuit similarly stained. Bruises, contusions and cuts covered the young boy's body, and his face-

_Was familiar._

_By the goddess! _Tara thought, feeling his neck for a pulse- and not finding one. Hurriedly she turned to the closest witch - a girl names Selene - and pointed to the door.

"Go get the Dawn. NOW!" She turned back to the boy and began to administer CPR even as Selene rushed out of the room, trying to make sense on how Anakin Solo, her best friend's nephew, who, she had seen not month ago on Yavin, was now lying at death's doorstep in her ceremony room, nearly ten years older.

**TBC…**

* * *

**A/N** 2 - Wow, that's a lot of Dramatis Personae - two freaking pages. And they all have something to do!

So begins my New Jedi Order. Born of a comment made years ago during the early days of Episode 1- 'Man, I'd love to see Buffy vs the Vong!', it's finally here. This is going to be one long story (although I don't think it will get as long as Episode 3 did) and I'll be writing it concurrently with Finding Avalon (yeah, I know. I've said that before…). No guarantees on updates, but get this- int he past two weeks, I've written four more chapters, all of which are at the beta's right now. So at the moment, I'm hopefull about regular updates, maybe once every two weeks.

A word of warning- this story might get confusing. I remember pitching one of my beta's years ago (may have been Fallenstar2) my idea for the New Jedi Order, and she felt that I should just keep it to my two estblished dimensions. But I've had this story in my head for over three years now, and this is how it has been. So sit back, buckle your seatbelts, and enjoy the ride.


	2. Chapter 2: The Arrival

* * *

**Disclaimer:** George and Joss own it all. But if you've never seen them on the screen or read them in the books, they're mine.

**A/N:** Thanls to my editor/Beta, Fallenstar2. I figured since I have seven chapters pre-written (two are ready to be posted, 3 are with Fallenstar2) I can go ahead and post this chapter as well.

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 2**

**The Arrival**

Alarms were still going off as Buffy, Dawn and the rest made their way through the halls of the Watcher's Council towards the debarkation room.

"…most likely place," the elder slayer was saying as she rounded another corner. "It's the weakest spot in the wards for obvious reasons."

"Who the hell has the ability to jump dimensions?" Anakin asked, easily keeping pace with his sister.

"There are any number of demons that are capable of cross-dimensional traffic," Wesley said, "but our wards are extensive…"

The small group skidded to a stop outside of the embarkation room, only to find it empty.

"Well, that was anticlimactic…" Buffy murmured, but before she could organize them into a search Selene rounded the corner.

"DAWN!" the young witch shouted, getting Dawn's attention. "Medical emergency in the coven's room!"

"What's happened?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, near hysterical. "We had only just started the summoning when the spell went haywire! The coven's all drained, Mara was out cold and there was this boy that just appeared… Tara's doing CPR right now, but she needs-"

"Meet you there!" Vi exclaimed, tearing down the hall before anybody could stop her. Dawn muttered about impetuous children before running after her. Buffy just looked at her fellow Jedi and friends, then followed closely behind. They arrived a minute later to find Dawn and Vi working frantically on the poor boy, whose face they couldn't see. Both girls had looks of intense concentration as they called upon the Force to help heal the boy; Vi's face, though, was already beaded over with sweat and turning red. Dawn felt her daughter's pain through the Force.

"That's enough, Vi."

"Not…yet…" she replied weakly.

"Violet Willow Jukassa…." Before Dawn could get any further, though, Vi's eyes rolled back into her head and the girl passed out. Buffy went to move her, but stopped suddenly and gasped as she finally caught sight of the boy's face.

It was her nephew, Anakin.

* * *

Several hours later, Dawn made her way out of the medical ward to the waiting room where Buffy and Obi-Wan were waiting, along with Mara and Luke, whom had arrived the moment he sensed his new wife's distress. Behind Dawn walked Anakin, who stopped and ran a hand through his short hair. Dawn shakily made her way towards Buffy, then turned suddenly and darted towards a trashcan sitting in the corner, where she deposited whatever she had eaten earlier that day. Buffy came up to her sister and ran her real hand softly up and down her back, trying to soothe the shell-shocked healer.

"Dawn?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, wiping her mouth off on the back of her hand. "It's just… I haven't seen wounds that bad… since Vi…."

Buffy knew instantly what she meant and pulled her into a tight hug. Vi - the previous Vi, the first, had been a Slayer in Dawn's group when she had been just a Padawan. The team, after racking up victory after victory with little to no injuries to themselves, had begun to feel invincible. Until a fateful night in an abandoned theater had brought reality crashing down onto them when Vi had been horrifically murdered by an ancient Vampire before Dawn's eyes. It had been the event that had sent Dawn down the path to the Dark Side, a path she was eventually able to pull herself out of with help from her family and friends. Buffy pulled back and looked at her sister. "Are you okay?"

Dawn nodded. "I'll be fine. As for the patient… critical, but I think he'll make it."

"And your Vi?" Anakin asked. Dawn smiled sadly.

"Just exhausted. She'll be fine after a good night's sleep. She had to use a great deal of power to keep the boy alive and she's only eight…"

"And the boy - is it Ani?" Mara asked. Dawn shrugged.

"I'm running tests now; I'll know in about an hour. But just from looking at him, I'd say he's little Ani Jr., all grown up."

"How is that possible, though?" Luke asked. "Time travel?"

"God, I hope not," Mara muttered, gazing at the door to the infirmary. "I don't want my nephew to ever go through what he went through."

"I'll let you know when the results come in," Dawn said, turning back towards the infirmary. "But if you excuse me, I feel the need to hold my daughter."

* * *

It was just another day at the New Republic Intelligence office as Iella Wessiri walked down the corridor towards her boss's empty office. In her hand were several flimsies and data pads, all detailing various reports from the different sectors of the galaxy. As she reached the door she paused only long enough to hit the control pad, then continued in unimpeded.

Seniority did have its privileges, after all.

Iella laid out the pads and flimsies, habitually sorting them into order of importance, then sat down behind the desk and activated the computer. Within two minutes she had bypassed the security and logged into the computer. She was rapidly perusing the classified folders when she felt the prick of a knife at the back of her neck.

"Two minutes to hack my computer, huh?" Joyce said, the smirk evident in her voice despite the fact that her face was hidden behind her Mandalorian mask. "Either you're getting slower, or the security team's getting better."

"Actually, I cracked it in a minute," she corrected. "But it was so easy I felt it had to be a trap."

"Ha!" Joyce laughed, sheathing her dagger. "And you walked right into my office, no code needed. I'm going to fire the lot of them."

Joyce Antilles had joined the New Republic Intelligence Division almost as soon as the peace treaty was signed - more to allay her husband's concerns about living a Mandalorian life than anything else. But she soon found she had a passion for the work, and a lifetime, however short, of collecting debts and making contacts all over the galaxy had paid off. She found herself advancing rapidly through the ranks, bypassing several senior members to eventually head the division after Leia's housecleaning when she took office. Some grumbled about favoritism, some about familial relationships. Others felt she was too young, too inexperienced. And a lot of people wanted her job.

Which is why she made it a point to develop a friendship with one of the most gifted operatives in the service. Iella Wessiri had done her fair share of spying during the Rebellion and many had pegged her to be the next head. The fact that she wasn't - and hadn't seemed upset about being passed over - had at first made Joyce suspicious, until she realized that Iella, like any good soldier, wasn't there for the glory; she was there to serve. The two had developed a very strong friendship both inside the office and outside of it and Joyce trusted her implicitly.

"So, what were you looking for?" Joyce asked, leaning against the edge of her desk as she took off her helmet. Her long brown hair fell freely and she shook her head a bit to loosen it up.

"I wanted to double check the Maw inventory," she replied. "We may be friends with the Empire, but that doesn't mean they won't try for an edge…"

"Fact," Joyce conceded, then nodded at the pile on her desk. "Anything good?"

"Same old, same old. Fey'lya's trying to pass his bill again."

Joyce groaned and rolled her eyes. Borsk Fey'lya, the Bothan representative, had been trying for months to enact a ban on extra-dimensional travel and force the Jedi back into this galaxy, no pun intended. He had been marginally successful, but despite finding some support amongst the Senate, the Jedi had powerful friends who managed to defeat the bill at every new iteration. Joyce was no fool - he knew Fey'lya would feel better if the Jedi were under the Senate's - and by extension, his - strict control, but there were too many benefits of dimensional travel and the genie would not go quietly back into the bottle.

"Me and horse-head need to have a little chat one of these days…"

"Joyce!" Iella exclaimed, trying to mask her smile with a look of disdain - and failing. "Calling him that is blatant racism."

"I am not a racist," Joyce said calmly. "I hate everybody equally, regardless of other issues. What else?"

Before Iella could reply there was a chime from the door. Joyce pushed herself off the desk as she yelled, "Enter!" and turn to face her guest.

And was surprised to see her mother standing there.

"Master Kenobi," she started formally and was taken aback when Buffy walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her in a fierce hug. While her mother and she had never really developed what she termed a 'huggy-feely' relationship and rarely showed any kind of public displays of affection, she loved her mother and knew that Buffy loved her back. After a moment, though, she returned the hug, then pulled away gently. "Mom?"

"Sorry," Buffy said, wiping away several tears. "I just… I had to do that…"

"What's happened? Is it Ben?" Joyce asked, suddenly all business. "Has someone died - oh, Force, is Vi alright?" she blurted, suddenly fearing for her god daughter.

"Vi's fine," she assured her daughter and then caught site of Iella. "Iella, how are you?"

"Better than you, apparently," the agent quipped good-naturedly. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I need to see Leia at once," Buffy replied, "And I need to keep it quiet."

She nodded and immediately put in the call to Leia. Joyce looked over her mother. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Something… I'll tell you and Leia at the same time. Sorry about the hug, but… I just needed to hold you…" she smiled at Joyce's incredulous look. "You'll understand when you have children."

"Master Kenobi, you can go up and see her now." Iella said and then turned to Joyce. "I'll cover for you, ma'am."

"Thanks, I owe you one," Joyce replied, then followed her mother out into the hall.

"So, are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Joyce asked as they made their way towards the Chief-of-States office.

"I'll tell you when we get there," Buffy muttered, increasing her pace.

* * *

"Threepio, are you sure you can handle them today?"

"Oh, quite sure Mistress Leia! After all, these children look up to me…"

Leia tuned out the golden protocol droid and watched as her three children played rambunctiously in the background of the holo transmission. The newly elected Chief-of-State sighed. "Yes, yes," she cut him off. "Just - make sure they don't destroy anything. And DON'T let Anakin near your circuits again! You were speaking Sullustan for two weeks last time!" She heard Artoo chitter from off camera. "I have to go. Give the children my love."

"Of course I will, Mistress Leia. Have a pleasant day!" Leia sighed as she disconnected, then turned to Winter, who was looking composed as ever. Leia scowled. "Go on, laugh. You know you want to."

"I want to do no such thing." Winter denied, though a small smile flashed across her face. Most would have missed it, but Leia had known the Alderanian woman for too long. "You could have gotten another nanny droid…"

"After what happened with the last one? I STILL don't know how Jaina got a hold of my lightsaber…"

"Or I could watch them…"

"I need you here," Leia sighed. "My mom's to busy with this government as it is, my father is still helping restructure the Jedi Council and I do NOT want to leave them on Earth - Lord knows what mischief they'd get up to there…"

"Considering Earth's level of tech, it would most likely be considerably less than what they are getting up to here," she reasoned.

"Fact," Leia replied dryly. Winter smile in earnest, then looked down as her pad beeped. "Hmm… Master Kenobi needs to see you at once. She says it urgent."

"Send her right in," Leia replied with a frown. "That's unusual, she usually just calls…"

"Shall I clear your schedule, your highness?"

"You better."

Winter deftly started typing commands into her pad and Leia started pacing. She was still trying to get a feel to the office, despite having been in it for over a month now. She had been surprised when she was nominated for the post after Mon Mothma announced her retirement, having figured her mother would be the likely candidate.

_Oh no, _she had told her daughter after the announcement was made, _It's time for the new generation to lead, and for us old folks to settle into the background and, I don't know, knit._ Leia had snorted at that. Besides the fact that her mother was only about ten years older than her thanks to living on Earth, she could never imagine Padmé Skywalker settling into the background, let alone knitting.

Nor did she. After she was elected, Leia insisted that Padmé be her advisor, along with being the liaison between the government and the re-established Jedi Council. Padmé was busier than ever now as she smoother relations between the Senate and the Council, along with justifying (and at times, protecting) the Praxeum on Yavin 4. Many senators wanted new Jedi to be taught on Coruscant as they had been before the Empire and many more were hesitant to let a relatively young Jedi, even if it was her brother, take the helm. It was becoming a full time job trying to keep all the parties happy.

Of course, Leia didn't have it any easier. As a Jedi herself, she had been forced to recues herself from the Order to prevent any conflicts of interest and even then the Senate still insisted on an oversight committee for the Jedi to make sure she didn't favor her family too much. She found this ridiculous and hypocritical, considering how the Senators all favored their own families and home worlds when various contracts came up in the Senate.

The door chimed and Winter opened them to reveal the concerned faces of Buffy and her daughter. "Master Kenobi, Agent Antilles," she said politely, "Please come in."

Both women said thank you and came into the spacious office.

"Leia, where are your children?" Buffy asked without preamble, startling Leia.

"At home," she replied slowly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I just saw them. Buffy, what is this about?"

Buffy seemed to sag in relief, even as she dropped into a nearby chair. "Last night, we had a visitor come through the wards into the Council compound during a ritual to contact the dead. It was a young boy, about 16 or 17 years old. Dawn was barely able to save him," she looked up at Leia, "and it appears to be Anakin Jr."

* * *

Several hours later the Jedi Council convened in the main meeting chamber on Earth. The entire Council, having been made aware that there was an emergency, was there; as were Dawn, Leia and Mara. The latter three stood in the center of the circular room as the Masters' took their seats. Without preamble, Buffy began.

"At midnight last night, during a ceremony to contact the dead that the coven performs annually, something occurred that resulted in what appears to be a future version of Anakin Solo to appear suddenly in critical condition." She ignored the surprised murmurs from the rest of the Council members and continued. "After being stabilized by Dawn and Vi he was moved to the infirmary, where Dawn was able to maintain his condition. Right now he's in a bacta tank and, when he's not Anakin, Dawn or Vi are constantly working on him. Mara," she looked to the redhead, "Will you please tell us what happened in the coven room?"

"It's a rather simple ceremony," Mara started to explain, "A simple calling of the god of death to let us speak briefly to those who have passed on. We make the offering - innocuous stuff like fruit and plants; we say he prayer and the dead we want to speak to will appear in turn when we call their names."

"Was this your first time participating?" Teryl asked. Mara nodded.

"In this setting, yes. I've practiced before, but never on Halloween."

"Then what happened?" Roan asked.

"We did the spell, but then it got cold and all the candles went out. Tara was the first to notice something was wrong and then suddenly it was like all of the energy bled out of me. Also-" she paused, trying to find the right words, "before, I felt a tremendous amount of pain and suffering through the Force, but it seemed to be centered around one person, for the most part."

"We also felt something like that," Zett agreed.

"Well, all of that happened, then there was a bright flash of light - and the boy appeared. Tara got up first, then when she realized he wasn't breathing started performing CPR. Selene was dispatched to get Dawn. I was unconscious for all of this, though."

Buffy nodded and then turned to her sister. "Dawn?" she prompted. The girl nodded and activated a holoprojector in the ceiling, bringing to life a 3D representation of her patient, complete with a readout of his injuries. Leia gasped at the sight of her son in such terrible shape and Mara laid a comforting hand on her arm.

"Fractured ribs, broken bones, severe internal injuries, stab wounds, traces of poison, though it was mostly burned out of his system," she listed mechanically, doing her best to maintain her professionalism. "Severe concussion, lacerations, contusions - and the worst case of exhaustion I've ever seen. He was in a fight and damn nearly burned himself out - literally."

"Have you been able to positively identify him?" Buffy asked. Dawn nodded, then typed a few commands into her pad. Instantly the image changed to that of a DNA double helix, with several sections highlighted.

"Genetically, the boy in the infirmary is Anakin Solo," she stated conclusively. "The DNA I've extracted from him matches what I have on file from Anakin's last visit. However," she pointed to one of the highlighted markers, "there is this."

"And what is that?" Obi-Wan asked, leaning forward to study the image.

"Several years ago, I theorized that all alternate dimensions exist simultaneously, except that they exist on different - well, frequencies, for lack of a better word," Dawn started. "For example - by opening a portal in an apparatus that Fred constructed, I was able to rapidly shift frequencies in order to find Buffy. Since then, I had theorized that the people from each dimension carry that frequency in their bodies as kind of a marker, identifying where they came from. I gathered evidence of that here." She typed a few commands and two more strands of DNA appeared. "The one on the left is Master Skywalkers; the right is Master Kenobi - Buffy. Notice," she pointed to the markers, "how each marker is slightly different." She pulled up two more strands that appeared next to Anakin's and Buffy's. "Again, next to Anakin's is Padmé's DNA, which carries the exact same marker; next to Buffy's is Xander's, which carries the same marker as her. Now, this could have been a mystical thing, so I never put this in our medical journals or in the Council archives - either one. But here," she erased the four new images, leaving only Anakin Solo's behind. She deftly tapped a few commands and another strand of DNA popped up that was virtually identical. "on the left, the Anakin in the infirmary. On the right, the DNA sample I compared his to, that was taken from our Ani Jr. less than three weeks ago. They are virtually identical, save for the marker." She took a breath and looked directly at her sister. "The boy in the infirmary is Anakin Solo, just not ours. He's come from a third world."

**TBC**

I was going to continue, but that is such a perfect leave-off point. Glad you all are enjoying this story so far!


	3. Chapter 3: The Paradox of a Paradox

**Disclaimer:** Same stuff, different day.

**A/N:** My thanks to my editor and beta, Fallenstar2

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 3**

**The Paradox of a Paradox**

* * *

Anakin sighed. "Here we go again…"

"Another alternate reality?" Roan exclaimed. Dawn shrugged.

"Well, there are an infinite number of them…"

"We need to keep this quiet," Obi-Wan declared, rising from his seat. "There are elements in the Senate that would jump all over this incident, citing the dangers of interdimensional travel and demand the Jedi either return fully and close the gateway, or go away entirely - or worse."

"And the fact is that there is no way to close the gateway," Dawn said. "All they would do is cut off their only hope if something bad ever does travel to their reality."

"We'll keep this to ourselves for now," Roan stated. "In the meantime, Anakin - the other Anakin, that is, is lying in our infirmary right now and I, for one, will not turn my back on him." He turned to Dawn. "Do what you can to heal him." Dawn nodded and he continued. "Also Dawn, can you use those markers to determine his exact reality?"

"Yes."

Roan nodded. "Good. We should send someone through to get a message to that Leia. If she's anything like ours," he glanced at the Chief of State, who was looking anxiously in the direction of the infirmary, "She's bound to be devastated by the apparent death of her son. Someone should go and try to explain things to her."

"I'll go," Anakin volunteered. "I'll take Joyce with me in the _Prometheus Unbound_. Hopefully between a person that was sure to exist and one that surely doesn't, they'll believe us about Alternate realities."

"Leia," Obi-Wan said softly to his niece, "go sit with him for a bit. But don't linger too long - remember, you will be missed over there." Leia nodded and she and Dawn left the room. Mara nodded, then excused herself as well, leaving the Masters to talk.

* * *

Xander did his best to stifle a yawn as Senator Fey'lya droned on about the dangers of portal travel while in the same breath trying to wrestle control of the drives away from the New Republic military to his own select 'committee'. He hated these meetings, hated the politics of it all. He preferred to be on the front lines, like he had been with the Slayers back on Earth and later with his clone fleet at Endor. But they had made him a general and assigned him to fleet command, and so he was forced to sit through these meetings and listen to the same, self-serving politics day after day.

At least he wasn't alone, though. He glanced over at Wedge Antilles and saw he was just as bored. Xander did his best to hide a grin as he turned his lack of attention back on the committee in front of him. Xander had always liked Wedge, from the moment he met him. He found the two were very similar - though while Xander's strength lay in the planning room and in command, Wedge was just as good at that and could fly an X-Wing like no one's business. Even Anakin, who was regarded as one of the best pilots in the fleet, tipped his hood at Wedge's skills.

And there was the fact that he married Buffy's daughter. That took guts, in more ways than one.

Wedge and Rogue Squadron acquitted themselves admirably during the days after the death of Palpatine, flying with crack Imperial squadrons under Thrawn and routinely outdoing them. Wedge had confided in Xander once that the Grand Admiral himself had approached him about joining the Imperial navy; Wedge, politely, refused.

The biggest challenge to the duo had come when Admiral Ysanne Isard, one of the last of Palpatine's die-hard supports, had resurfaced. Literally, as she blasted her way off of Coruscant in the Super Star Destroyer _Lusankya_ that had been buried deep beneath the surface of the planet. For several months the insane Admiral had run roughshod across the galaxy, leaving a wake of terror and destruction behind her. It was only after Thrawn, Xander, and Wedge - along with Captain Gilad Pellaeon and General Garm Bel Iblis - concocted a bold plan to raid the massive ship in orbit of Thyferra. The combined fleets of Thrawn and Bel Iblis launched a full-scaled assault on Isard's base, disabling or destroying several Star Destroyers she had gathered to her, while Rogue Squadron flew cover to an insertion team consisting on half a dozen Jedi and Slayers. Xander himself had taken point when hey reached the bridge and was able to capture Isard before she could escape. As a result, both had been promoted to Generals and given their own flagships. Xander had kept the _Mystery Machine_, the old Venator-class Star Destroyer that he had commanded at Endor and Wedge had taken the _Avenger_, a brand new Star Destroyer that was actually still under construction.

Most days would find Xander at Fleet Headquarters, working under General Bel Iblis and studying tactical reports from all over the galaxy, while Wedge would be busy training the Rogues. But whenever any questions came up worth dimensional travel, the two were automatically chosen to deal with it.

Oh, the joys of command…

"General Harris, are you paying attention?" an irritable voice broke through the haze in his mind. Xander blinked and looked to the Bothan senator who seemed rather put-out.

"No, not really," Xander replied casually, then turned to Wedge. "Were you paying attention, General Antilles?"

Wedge blinked. "No, I thought you were paying attention, General Harris," he replied.

Xander sighed. "No, it was your turn to pay attention, General Antilles. I paid attention last time."

Wedge shook his head. "No, I distinctly remember paying attention last time, General Harris."

"Generals!" Fey'lya nearly shouted. "This is a serious matter!"

"Look Senator," Xander started, leaning forward, "It seems every week we get dragged into this exact same meeting and every week we tell you the exact same thing.

"The Jedi and the Watcher's Council are inexorably linked. They will always have an enclave on Earth. And since Earth is where the portal generators are created and maintained and, since it takes Watcher's Council resources to recharge the drives we've installed on a select few of our ships to enable us to bypass gravity fields, there is no way in hell that any Senate committee is going to control portal travel. It's not feasible, it's not possible and it's a waste of our time to drag us back in here week after week to hear the same thing. So clean out your ears, Senator - the genie is out of the bottle and it's not going back in. And you're not going to be able to buy it, unlike your jobs. Now, if you excuse us," the two generals rose, "we both have more important jobs to do." Without another word the two Generals rose and left behind the flustered senators.

Xander and Wedge were walking down the Grand Corridor when the Corellian looked to Xander with a rueful expression. "You know you just committed career suicide in there, right? Borsk will come at you with everything he has for talking to him like that."

Xander shrugged. "Just means I go back to the Watcher's Council full time. Or the Jedi get a brand-spanking new starship. Well, relatively speaking."

"It must be nice to have options," Wedge remarked dryly. Xander chuckled.

"You're untouchable, Wedge. Bel Iblis likes you. Thrawn wants you in his fleet. Plus, I don't think ANYBODY wants to piss off a Mandalorian, especially Mr. Ed back there." He looked at his watch. "I actually have to be getting back to Earth, family emergency, you know." Wedge did know. He, too, knew about the mysterious boy who had appeared on Earth, who was apparently an older Anakin Solo. He knew that the Watcher's Council were working overtime trying to find out how it had happened, and what kind of measures they should take in case of another breach. But he was smart enough not to talk about it in public - there were ears everywhere.

"I'll tell Joyce you said hi," Wedge said, shaking his friend's hand. "Good luck."

"You too," Xander smirked. "After all, you'll have to deal with Borsk now." Xander walked off laughing as Wedge scowled at his back.

* * *

Several hours later, the _Prometheus Unbound _- Joyce's replacement ARC fighter she'd been working on since the destruction of the _Prometheus_ on Cloud City - flew gracefully through the outer reaches of the Coruscant System. Anakin had jumped over the newly refurbished Jedi Temple and then traveled to New Republic Intelligence to pick up his niece. Joyce had been only too happy to help, having felt what her mother had felt about what happened to the boy. It hadn't taken long to get her ship out of its secured hanger and into space.

"All systems check," she announced. "Activating cloak."

Space seemed to shimmer around the craft and then it was gone, concealed by the cloaking device her father had designed twenty years ago. She had made some improvements but found the original device to be leaps and bounds better than any stealth technology out there - and eons beyond the pitiful cloaking screens the Empire had developed.

She hadn't felt the need to share that with them, though.

"Setting coordinates for Coruscant system, entering dimensional frequency," she paused for a moment. "Well, this should be something new."

"If it makes you feel better, Junior came to us first," Anakin said with a smile, referring to the young Anakin now lying in the infirmary back on Earth."

"Yeah and look how he arrived," Joyce retorted. "Stand by to jump…"

Outside the craft a bright white and purple light played over the craft and then it was gone.

And it reappeared moments later into chaos.

Joyce felt her jaw drop under her helmet, but paid it no heed even as Anakin leaned over her right shoulder form the second seat to get a better view.

"By the Force…" he whispered, taking in the sight before him.

Coruscant was burning.

Along with hundreds of flaming hulks that were once grand ships of the New Republic. Fighters frantically danced around space, trading shot with or running from strange, rock-like craft. It took Anakin's brain a moment to realize they were rock and he turned to his sensors.

"Some kind of coral… propulsion systems is nothing like I've ever seen… weapons- magma?" he sat back stunned. "They're shooting projectiles of magma at the fighters."

"Shields?" Joyce snapped.

"Unknown, but highly probable. Only one in five laser blasts are hitting their mark; the rest just seem to… disappear, somehow. I need time - oh my god…" he trialed off as he saw a large New Republic transport hurtle itself into the planet. The resulting explosion could be seen from where they were, several million miles away. "I was reading that ship to be fully loaded."

"They kamakazied the ships into the planetary shields, then," Joyce said tonelessly, doing her best to push emotions aside. "Probably had dozens more transports in the beginning and probably had them up front so we wouldn't attack right away. Clever. Ruthless, but clever."

Anakin frowned as he read several of those rock fighters heading towards their position. "We have incoming fighters…" he announced, studying their trajectories. "I think they spotted us," he said, incredulously.

"Impossible," Joyce responded. "I've flown right next to Star Destroyer bridges and their sensors couldn't pick me up."

Anakin watched with increasing alarm as the rock ships came right for them. "But these aren't Star Destroyers, or TIE fighters," he reasoned. "Everything about these systems are different…"

"Mass," Joyce whispered to herself, coming to a realization. "They got gravity generators on those things. Cloaked or not, we still have mass. Imperial sensors can't detect it beneath the cloak, but these guys might…" she suddenly punched the throttle, sending the small fighter rocketing forward and her fears were confirmed as the fighters adjusted their course to follow. "Karking rocks… whoa!" she shouted as the rock fighters suddenly opened fire, spewing magma projectiles all around her fighter. "Oh no, you did NOT shoot that magma shit at me! Switching to shields! Locking s-foils in attack position, powering weapons. Hang on!" she shouted, jerking the stick to the right out of their line of fire. The status lights indicated the cloak had been replaced by shields and her weapons were powered up. "Anakin, keep those sensors going. I want everything recorded."

"Copy that," the Jedi Master replied.

Anakin kept her eyes on her rear display, then suddenly hit her reverse thrusters and allowed the three enemy fighters to shoot past her. She locked onto the first ship and decided to forgo the massive side micro-turbo lasers in favor of the GN-40 twin blaster cannons she installed above the torpedo launchers. She fired, the rapid-fire blasts right on target. Some of her shots were sucked into the void created by the ships odd gravity well generator, but a surprising number of bolts impacted into the rocky hull, shattering it. Joyce proceeded to fire on the next craft, then the next, destroying all of them handily.

"Odd, our weapons seem to be more effective…" Anakin said distractedly as Joyce rolled out of the line of fire of another pair of rock craft.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" Joyce asked sarcastically. Anakin shook his head.

"I can't feel them."

"Who?"

"The ships. The pilots. I can't feel them in the Force." Anakin closed his eyes and concentrated. He sensed the crews of the New Republic ships, the New Republic pilots, the people fleeing the burning planet - but not one enemy mind could he sense. It was like a large void in the Force. "I can't feel any of them."

"You're losing it, 'cause I can." Joyce retorted. Something on her screen got her attention. "They're getting ready to pull out. The last transports are lifting off…stang!" she shook her head. "The _Millennium Falcon_ is lifting off and it's got pursuers." In an instant she made a decision. "I'm going to cover them."

"Joyce that's not our mission…"

"To hell with your karking mission. My reality or not, the _Falcon_ is in trouble. And I won't let anything happen to that ship." With that she hit the throttle and headed straight for the battle ahead. "Besides, we got another two minutes before we can engage the jump drive."

The _Prometheus Unbound_ shot towards Coruscant, dodging between friendlies and enemies alike. More than one surprised transmission echoed through her headset, demanding that she identify herself, asking what the hell she was doing. Joyce ignored them all and made a beeline for the familiar transponder signal of the _Millennium_ _Falcon_. Soon the fire got thicker and she was dodging faster than a normal pilot could ever dream of. Anakin whistled, obviously impressed.

"Damn, you're good," he said.

"I keep telling people that…" she smiled beneath her helmet as the familiar shape of the Falcon became visible, dodging and weaving between enemy fire. "Well, some things never change." She flew straight at the _Falcon_, then shot over her at the last minute, ignoring the angry screams she was hearing over the feed that went silent as soon as she took out the two pursuing craft. Once more she hit her reverse thrusters and flipped her ship one hundred and eighty degrees before accelerating again towards the _Falcon_.

"_Millennium_ _Falcon_, this is the _Prometheus_ _Unbound_. We'll cover your escape. Make for safe distance and get the hell out of here."

_Listen, you're crazy…_Han's voice exploded over the speakers. _I don't need some crazy hotshot pilot to cover my ship, especially when they fly as nuts as you!_

"Oh, this is rich," Joyce smirked. "Han Solo lecturing me on crazy flying." Joyce maneuvered around the old freighter once more to take point. "Put your Jedi in the turrets and keep your throttle on full. And try to keep up, old man." She cut the transmission and Anakin shook his head.

"Did you have to wind him up like that?"

"No, but I wanted to."

The two craft flew in tandem, Joyce doing her best to clear the path with her more effective weapons, while the _Falcon's_ turrets did their own fair share of damage. Subtly reaching out, Anakin could feel Luke in one of the turrets and then felt a presence that momentarily confused him. It was Mara, but not the Mara he knew. Her Force signature was subtly different and Anakin filed that away in the back of his mind to talk over with Dawn later. He felt Leia and Han and felt the devastation there. These were the young Anakin's parents, the people he had come to talk to. But how could he talk to them about their son in the middle of all of this?

"We can't," Joyce said out loud, seemingly reading Anakin's thoughts. "We try to tell them about their kid now, they'll probably get themselves blown out of the sky. We'll have to find them later."

"You're right," Anakin concurred.

The _Prometheus_ began to shudder under multiple hits that she couldn't dodge and warning lights began to flash. "Stang!" she exclaimed. "Lock down your data, Ani. We're getting out of here." She hit her comlink. "_Falcon_, _Prometheus_. Our shields are failing, we're bugging out. Good luck and we'll see you on the other side."

"Copy that _Prometheus_, thanks for the escort," Han replied. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Let's just say we're friends." She paused, then smirked. "And take a look at your auxiliary intake manifold. I can hear it rattling from here."

* * *

_Let's just say we're friends. And take a look at your auxiliary intake manifold. I can hear it rattling from here._

Han sat back slightly, bewildered by the other pilot's cockiness. "What the hell does she know…" he muttered to himself as the ancient ARC fighter pulled away. "And where the hell did she find that thing? Who flies a ship that old?" he glanced over at Leia, hoping she'd rise to the occasion and take the bait. But she had that far away look she'd had since she had felt their son Anakin's death. But now it was tinged with something else - confusion? Recognition? "Princess?"

"I felt something… a familiar presence, if only for a moment," she replied, reaching out with her senses, trying to discover the source of the feeling-

And in that instant, the _Prometheus_ _Unbound_ disappeared in a flash of light.

"What the hell?!" Han exclaimed. Even Leia started in shock.

"What kind of hyperdrive was that?" she asked.

Han started to answer, but a cacophony of alarms drew his attention back to their escape.

* * *

In the stillness of space, the _Prometheus_ _Unbound_ appeared. She was scorched and smoking from the last few hits she received on the way out. Slowly the ship swung around, to find the normal controlled chaos of Coruscant's space lanes in front of them. Joyce let out a relieved sigh.

"Never thought I'd be so happy to see that," she indicated the planet in front of them. "I need a drink."

"Make it a double," Anakin said. "Go ahead and land at the Temple - I'll have them begin repairs immediately. In the mean time, we can begin to analyze this data."

"You analyze. I want to find my husband." She adjusted her course and headed for the planet. "He might not be my kid, but I feel the need to hold him right now."

* * *

_Pain. Fear. Loss._

These are the feelings that course through young Anakin Solo as he lay unconscious in the infirmary on Earth. Vi sat next to his bed, her hands glowing on his bared chest as she poured healing Force energy into his broken body.

_What about my team? Jaina? Jacen? Tahiri?_

Anakin's body tensed automatically as a wave of pain traveled simultaneously through every nerve ending at once. Vi frowned and doubled her concentration, paying no heed to the exhaustion threatening to overtake her.

_Got to finish the mission. Got to get back to Mom and Dad…_

The glow around Vi's hands began to falter as her strength began to flag. She whimpered as another wave of pain passed through his body, feeling it herself through the temporary bond she had established.

_Force! Did Chewbacca feel this when he died? I hope not…._

Vi's energy finally gave out an she collapsed back into the chair, passing out from the strain. As she fell into blissful unconsciousness, she heard one final through from the boy.

_Tahiri…_

* * *

It was nightfall on Hapes and Han Solo just did the hardest thing he ever had to do.

He just buried his son, without actually burying him.

According to Jaina the body had disappeared while he fought off dozens of Yuuzhan Vong warriors, covering their escape. Jaina had even gone back to make sure and confirmed that Anakin's body was, indeed gone.

So they had a simple ceremony, a symbolic bonfire to say goodbye to his youngest son. And to make matters even worse, now the Jedi were saying they had felt Jacen die through the Force, though Leia refused to believe that. And Jaina was acting so angry…

Han sighed and gave the hydrospanner one more turn. He nodded in satisfaction and knelt down to put the tool back in the box.

"You gonna stand there all night, kid?" he asked Luke, who was standing in the hall outside the engine room. Han looked back and Luke gave him a wan smile.

"Are you sure you're not Force sensitive?" he asked, moving into the engine room. "How are you holding up?" he asked after a moment of silence.

Han shrugged. "As well as can be expected. I just lost two of my kids, after all."

"Han," Luke started, but Han cut him off with a look.

"Don't," he warned. "Don't apologize. Don't cheapen their sacrifice…"

"I would never do that," Luke assured his friend. Han sighed again.

"They were Jedi, Luke," he said at last. "They knew the risks and we knew there was a good chance they wouldn't be coming back. All we can do now is hope their sacrifice will make sure that nobody else goes through what we're going through." He looked around the engine compartment and smiled wanly. "You know, it's funny."

"What?"

"After the… after, I came back to check on that auxiliary intake manifold - and it was loose." He shook his head. "Only three people could have spotted that - me, Chewie, and Lando. And whoever was in that ship - well, it wasn't Chewie and it sure wasn't Lando. Leia said she sensed something familiar, but…"

"I did too, for a moment," Luke confirmed, frowning. "But it couldn't be."

"Why?" Han asked.

"Because," Luke said, looking at his friend, "the presence I sensed was my father - Anakin Skywalker."

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4: Did I miss something?

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1.

**A/N:** Special thanks, as always, to my beta/Editor Fallenstar2. And who can guess where the chapter title came from? Oh, and Happy Father's Day!

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 4**

**"Did I miss something? When did we get to Disneyland?"**

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

The first thing Anakin Solo became aware of was the dull throbbing that infused his entire body. Next, he became aware of the various sounds around him - the low thrum of a power generator unit, the slow beeping of a heart monitor. He smelled the unforgettable antiseptic smell of a hospital room and dimly wondered how he got there. Had they escaped? Had their mission been a success?

Anakin lay there for a few moments, doing his best to suppress the pain he felt with the Force - and was mildly alarmed when it did not respond to him as quickly as it once had. He knew he was in bad shape - but not so bad that his Force sensitivity had left him! A few more moments to gather his strength and he forced his eyes open to face the most peculiar sight.

A young girl, no older than 7 or 8, at on the edge of his bed. She had flowing brown hair and wide, curious eyes of the same shade that were peering down at him, as if she was studying a bug through a microscope. But he didn't get the impression that she meant any harm, merely which she was curiously observing him, as if to see if he was actually alive. Anakin's eyes narrowed slightly as he instinctively pushed his head farther down into the pillow, trying to put some distance between them.

The girl giggled and sat back on her haunches, balancing precariously on the edge of the bed. "Good morning, sleepy-head!" the girl said brightly. "I'm Vi! What's your name?"

It took Anakin a moment to realize she was asking him a question. As he tried to answer through, he found his mouth was full of cotton. At least, it felt that way as he rasped out an incoherent reply. Vi seemed to realize the problem and hopped off the bed, walking over to the bedside table where a pitcher and a glass were resting. Carefully she picked up the large pitcher, which looked even larger in her tiny hands and gingerly poured the water into the glass. When the glass was about half full she set the pitcher down and took a moment to look proudly on her work before picking up the glass and carefully climbing back up onto the bed. Anakin knew what she was doing and did his best to lift his head up and was surprised when he felt her assist him with the Force.

"Don't strain yourself too much, now," Vi admonished, lifting the glass to his lips and tilting it forward, letting the liquid flow towards his mouth. "That's it…small sips." Anakin drank the proffered water greedily, relishing the soothing feeling as it slid down his parched throat.

"Th-thank you," Anakin rasped. "I-I'm An…akin." He slumped back down into the bed, those two sentences taking a tremendous toll on him. Vi giggled.

"That's funny, I got an Uncle named Anakin!" she exclaimed. "A cousin, too…"

"Violet Willow Jukassa!" a stern voice admonished from the other side of the room. Anakin turned his head to see a young woman in Jedi robes moving quickly towards his bed, shaking a finger at the young girl. He could tell by the obvious resemblance between the two that this must be her mother and idly wondered what kind of mother lets her daughter play in the infirmary. The woman stopped on the other side of his bed and looked at her daughter. "What have I told you about badgering the patients?"

"But mom," Vi whined, "I wasn't badgering! I asked him his name and I was gonna ask him how he was feeling, before I was so rudely interrupted." Vi rolled her eyes in annoyance and her tone was such that only an impetuous child could pull off without getting into trouble. It made him think almost immediately of his sister and how she had been when they were younger. Such thoughts brought up memories of his mission and he suddenly bolted upright in his bed - only to flop back down moments later as pain once again wracked his body. He burst out into hacking coughs as the woman nodded to her daughter, then swiftly moved to a cabinet to presumably fetch some drugs.

Then a curious feeling came over him. A warmth that spread through his chest and seemed to relieve him of the worst of the pain. As the coughs subsided he glanced at his chest to see two tiny hands pressed firmly down upon it, a white light playing over and under them. He looked up, awestruck at the girl, to find her eyes squeezed shut in concentration and a fine sheen of sweat breaking out on her forehead. She winced, as if in terrible pain, and suddenly he knew. She was trying to help him, but was taking his pain into herself. Without further thought he grasped at her arms and pulled her hands off his chest, breaking the connection and Vi slumped wearily onto the bed next to him. Dimly he felt the cool spry of a hypo injecting him, then saw the woman move around and pick Vi's limp body up off of the bed and place her onto a bed next to his. She gave her an injection from a different hypo, then took a moment to compose herself.

"So-sorry," he rasped out. The woman turned back to him and gave him a small smile.

"It's not your fault, I assure you. Vi has a very unique gift, even among Jedi. And she is often compelled by forces beyond her to use it."

"You… Jedi?" The woman nodded.

"My name is Dawn. You've met my daughter, Vi." She swept her hand back towards the other bed where the girl lay sleeping. "She saved your life, by the way. So remember to say thank you when she wakes up." Dawn gave him another smile. "Now, I'll be your healer while you're staying with us-"

"Jaina?" Anakin asked suddenly, cutting her off. "Jacen? My… my team? Where…" he trailed off as her face fell slightly.

"You were the only one to arrive here," she stated. "If you were with a team, I have no idea what happened to them. But I can see about finding out for you."

Anakin glanced around, trying not to move his head that much. "Wh-where am I?"

"You're in our infirmary. You were critically injured when you arrived - technically, you were dead for at least two minutes. It's going to be some time before you're strong enough –"

"Where?" Anakin insisted. Even with his diminished Force sensitivity, he could feel that she was hiding something. He didn't sense any malicious intent that he would feel with someone from the Peace Brigade and he didn't NOT feel her like he would with a Vong. But there was something she wasn't telling him; something important. He wanted to know what.

But before he could press the issue, he felt his eyes begin to droop. The drugs that she had injected only a minute before were beginning to take effect and he felt awareness slipping from him. He saw her give him a sad smile, then move to tuck him in.

"Rest now, Anakin. And I'll tell you when you wake up." And with that, Anakin once again fell asleep.

Dawn watched the boy for a few more minutes, then moved back to her daughter's side and took Vi's tiny hand in her own. Dawn sighed and wondered how he would tell the young man that he had somehow traversed dimensions.

* * *

When next he awoke, he once again saw Vi leaning over him, her eyes closed in an expression of intense concentration and her hands glowing with the healing power of the Force.

"Stop that," he said quietly, somewhat surprised how much better his voice sounded today. "You're hurting yourself," he said further as her eyes opened and peered into his own.

Vi shrugged. "The more I heal, the stronger I get. The stronger I get, the less it hurts. Like mom says, 'to make an omelet, sometimes you gotta break a few eggs'."

"You shouldn't hurt yourself for me," Anakin protested weakly. Vi shrugged again.

"I feel differently."

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked, curious about this Force art. "I've done healing trances, but I've never seen anything like that."

"I've been able to do it forever, but my Uncle showed me how to do it proper-like."

"Who's your Uncle?" Anakin asked. He had seen most of the Jedi his Uncle Luke had taught over the years, but he had never seen Vi's mother before, or even heard of a Force-sensitive girl like Vi. Vi just grinned at his question.

"That would be me."

He had felt the presence moments before the man had spoke and, judging from Vi's reaction, so did she. It was hard to miss - it w as a powerful presence, a Force user of immense strength that Anakin had only felt occasionally from his Uncle Luke or, on rarer occasion, his mother. He turned his head to look at the door and saw the man standing in the doorway. He was tall - easily over six feet, with dirty blonde hair cropped in a short, but loose hairstyle that screamed of someone who was used to wearing it long. He had a thin scar over his left eye, but it merely accentuated his presence rather than detract from it. He was dressed in Jedi robes - not quite as dark as the ones Uncle Luke wore, but a dark brown and black ensemble. He gave Vi a warm smile and asked her to excuse them; the young girl just rolled her eyes and jumped off the bed, then scampered out into the hallway beyond. The man stepped in and allowed the door to close behind him before bringing a chair over besides his bed and sitting down.

"Before we begin," he started, "I just want to ask you a few very simple questions, to make sure here wasn't any brain damage. Okay?" Anakin nodded. "Good. Now, what is your name?"

"Anakin Solo," Anakin replied. The man nodded.

"And how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And how were you injured?" the man asked, peering at the boy. His face was impassive, but Anakin could sense the trepidation behind the man's eyes, as if he was waiting to hear something he simply did not want to hear.

"Fighting the Vong," Anakin replied and noted the reaction from the man - or rather, the lack of reaction, as if the word 'Vong' held no meaning for him. He held his tongue, making it clear through his actions, as well as the Force, that he was done talking. The man smirked.

"Yeah, you're your father's son all right," he said lightly, "With just enough of your mother's stubbornness. Glad to see that some things never change." The man sighed. "Alright, I'm going to tell you some things right now and you're not going to believe me. But everything I'm about to tell you is the truth - I swear to you. And I will be able to prove it, though I'm not entirely sure how yet. Okay?"

"Fine," Anakin replied, suspiciously.

"All right, here we go." The man clasped his hands and rubbed them together nervously. "My name is Anakin Skywalker," he begun, "and you've somehow traveled into another dimension."

* * *

Dawn was walking back to the infirmary when she felt a sudden build-up of Force energies - and witnessed their release moments later as Anakin Skywalker came bursting out of the wall next to her infirmaries door. The Jedi Master slumped to the floor, dazed and Dawn looked on in shock as the still-battered figure of Anakin Solo staggered out of the hole, the elder Anakin's lightsaber held lit in his hand. Despite herself, she was impressed - only two weeks after being clinically dead- and exhausted to boot - and here he was, flinging around Jedi Masters like it was no one's business.

The boy staggered against the wall, looked up and spotted Dawn. His eyes widened in fear, then he lurched back and staggered down the hall, leaning against the wall and moving as fast as he could. She could catch him, of course, but the elder Anakin might be able to tell her why the young patient was so - agitated.

* * *

Anakin struggled to find a way out of this maze of corridors. It wasn't easy, the state he was in - pushing the so-called 'Anakin Skywalker' away had pretty much exhausted him. He turned a corner, saw a group of girls looking warily at him - was that a crossbow in her arms? - decided against it and continued down the hall. He spied a door at the end and decided a place to hide to get his bearings was just as good as finding an escape route. Lightsaber still ignited, he opened the door and slowly backed into the room.

In Padmé's small office she, Buffy and Joyce sat talking quietly about what Joyce had seen over Coruscant in the 3rd world.

"It's hard to imagine," Padmé was saying, shaking her head in dismay. "What kind of enemy would be so ruthless? Flying civilian transports into the planetary shields?"

"It's barbaric," Buffy agreed. "If this is the enemy that Palpatine foresaw, we need more infor..." she trailed off as she felt a massive burst of Force energy, then felt her brother's pain. Padmé likewise winced. "What in the world…"

"What was my idiot brother doing that got him hurt on EARTH?" Buffy ground out, rubbing her temples. Joyce thought a moment.

"I think he went to talk with Junior in the infirmary."

"Yes, but isn't he powerless?" Padmé asked. "I mean, isn't he exhausted?"

"Even exhausted Jedi can pack a punch…" Joyce trailed off as the door opened and a lean figure backed into the room, a familiar lightsaber lit in his hand. Buffy raised an eyebrow at the sight of the broken, exhausted boy.

"Is that a lightsaber in your hand, or are you just happy to see me?" she quipped dryly. Anakin spun sloppily and tried to raise the lightsaber to a blocking position, but it was ripped from his hands by a casual wave from Buffy's hand as she summoned it to herself. She looked at her brother's lightsaber in her hand and shook her head. "Obi-Wan is going to be very cross with his former Padawan… Joyce!" she called out to her daughter, who rushed over and caught the young boy as he finally collapsed.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Buffy demanded of her brother as they put the younger Anakin back to bed. "Just coming out and saying it? Have you heard of tact?"

"I thought he'd appreciate honesty more than tact," Anakin groused, holding an ice-pack to his head. They were back in the infirmary along with Dawn, Padmé, Joyce and Vi, who was once again working on young Solo. "Besides, how do you do this tactfully? 'Where are you? Well, you're sometime a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…"

"Well, if you did it that way, maybe you wouldn't have been _blown through a wall_," she emphasized, then handed him his lightsaber. "By the way, I believe this is yours. Remember Anakin, this weapon is your life…"

Anakin growled at his sister. "Wrong Kenobi, Short-Round."

A groan got the siblings attention and they turned to see Anakin Solo begin to come around again. Vi sat back with a sigh and mopped her brow with the edge of his sheets. Slowly the boy opened his eyes to take in the many people before him. An older woman with graying blonde hair gave him a wry smile.

"Good morning, sunshine," she said happily. "I know this must all be a lot to take in, but do me a favor. Next time you throw my idiot brother through a wall, give us some warning. I'd like to see it."

"Hey!" Anakin said indignantly.

"Ani, be a good boy and go away." The Jedi Master scowled, then turned and stalked out of the room. Padmé and Joyce left right behind him, leaving Buffy, Dawn and Vi alone with the patient, who was scowling.

"I don't know what your game is," he said weakly, "but I'm not telling you anything."

Buffy sighed, then righted the chair her brother had been sitting in and sat down. "No games," she assured him. "Everything I'm going to tell you is the gods-honest truth. And yes, it will be fantastical, and easy to dismiss as fiction. But it's not." Her voice softened a bit. "Our lives would be easier if it was, perhaps, but no where near as rewarding." She sighed.

"Who are you?" young Anakin demanded. Buffy gave him that same wry smile again.

"Oh, I've got so many names…"

"Tell me about it," Dawn muttered, checking over Anakin's stats. Buffy shot her a look, which her sister ignored.

"My full name is Buffy Anne Summers-Skywalker-Kenobi, but you can call me Buffy for short." She grinned. "Otherwise it's either a mouthful... or very confusing."

Anakin's eyes widened. "Kenobi…"

Buffy nodded. "We were married a few years ago. The girl in the Mando armor you saw is my daughter from a previous… relationship. Her father died during the Clone Wars before we could be married. The doctor over there is my sister Dawn, whom you've met. And of course you know Vi."

Anakin nodded. "And the tall guy? You expect me to believe that's Darth Vader?"

Buffy stiffened for a moment, a look of loathing passing over her face. Then her shoulders seemed to droop. "The Darth Vader you knew was Anakin Skywalker?"

The youngest Solo scoffed. "Come on, everybody knows that. I mean, I know Uncle Luke managed to bring him back before he died, but for years he was one of the most feared Sith Lord's the galaxy had seen in a thousand years, next to the Emperor."

Buffy's head dropped into her hands and Dawn walked over to her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, before beckoning to Vi. The two then left the room. Buffy took a moment to compose herself.

"Let me tell you a story, Anakin," she began. "On the planet Earth - where you are now, by the way- the supernatural is real. Demons, monsters and hellgods have all tried to either conquer or destroy the world. To combat this, the powers that be created the Slayer - one girl in all the world who was chosen to fight the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. For several years, I was that Slayer. But over twenty-five years ago by my reckoning, a hell goddess managed to open a portal that threatened all of creation. And to save the world, I closed it - getting sucked into it at the same time. A friend of mine, Willow, was also sucked in. And we ended up in another dimension much like your own, only not.

"We were captured and enslaved. I was sent to Tatooine, where I was bought by a Toydarian named Watto and placed with a family he already owned. They took me in, loved me, helped me heal. The family was Shmi Skywalker and her son, Anakin.

"Time passed. Jedi came to our planet and they ended up freeing us. The Jedi - Qui-Gon Jinn, sensed the Force in Anakin and felt that he was part of an old Jedi Prophecy. I just came along for the ride. After our first adventure, Anakin was accepted for training by the Jedi, mostly because Qui-Gon's former apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, took him on as his own apprentice. They accepted me because I didn't give them much choice.

"Time passed and we trained. I was there to keep Ani in line, and he kept me sane in a world were I was in way over my head. Around the time of the purges, I discovered that he had secretly married your grandmother, Padmé. What you have to understand is that the Council forbade any type of attachment - especially marriage - so he kept it secret from everybody. When I confronted him, he told me about visions he'd had of her dying and how he felt the Dark Side was the only course of action he had to prevent it. I knocked some sense into him over that…"

"How?" Anakin asked, honestly curious. As far as he could sense, she was telling the truth - at least, the truth from her point of view. But she really couldn't see why someone would enact such an elaborate ruse to trick him. "How did you knock some sense into him?"

"The old fashioned way - I knocked him on his ass," Buffy smirked. "Size matters not, after all."

"I talked him down, but Palpatine did get the last laugh," Buffy continued. "My friend Willow had been seduced by the Dark Side and become Darth Traya. While she was on Earth, she had been a very powerful budding witch. Over there, she became Force-sensitive. She used all of her skills to weave a spell on Anakin's mind at Palpatine's behest and briefly turned him into Darth Vader, but we were able to free him and turned her back. Willow later died helping to defeat Palpatine, along with Luke and Anakin."

"In my world," Anakin interrupted softly, "Uncle Luke surrendered himself to Vader, hoping to turn him back. Vader took him to the Emperor, and the two fought until Uncle Luke beat him. But he refused to kill him and the Emperor tried to kill Uncle Luke - but Vader tossed the Emperor down a maintenance shaft. Uncle Luke said that before Vader died, he was Anakin Skywalker again."

Buffy smiled sadly. "I'm glad to hear he came out of it," she said honestly.

"How did you survive the purge?" Anakin asked.

"My family on Earth had been looking for me and Dawn managed to find me. They crossed into my new dimension and myself and about a hundred Jedi survivors made our way back to Earth. From here, we helped the Alliance defeat Palpatine and make peace with the Empire."

Anakin whistled. "Man, my family was fighting the Empire for years after the Emperor's death."

Buffy smiled. "Well, that is a story for another time. And one that I'd be happy to tell you when you're not so exhausted." She stood and straightened his covers. "You should rest now."

"What do you want from me?" Anakin asked, looking Buffy dead in the eye.

"What I want," Buffy replied, "is for you to get better so we can get you back to your parents. I know what it feels like to lose a child; I don't envy Leia her dreams right now." She sighed. "What I'd like is, when you are stronger, to go over everything you know about the enemy that did this to you. We think this might be the same enemy we've had intelligence stating that they would be coming soon - any information you could give us would potentially save a lot of lives."

Anakin considered the woman for a moment, before finally closing his eyes. Buffy sighed slightly and turned to walk out of the room. "I'll think about it," the boy's voice called and then Buffy could feel him turn on his side and fall asleep.

* * *

Moments later Buffy entered the small observation room that looked into the infirmary. The window was hidden behind a two-way mirror and unless you knew it was there, it was unlikely that you'd see it. In the room were Anakin, Padmé, Obi-Wan, Joyce and Dawn, who had stood watching Buffy's conversation in silence. As soon as the door closed, Anakin Skywalker walked over to his sister and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Thank you for being there for me," he whispered and she could feel the tears leak from his eyes onto her robes.

"Always will be, little brother," she replied. Anakin snorted.

"Who are you calling little?" he asked.

"What now?" Padmé interrupted. "Do we try to find his parents again?"

"We should continue surveillance missions into the 3rd world," Joyce replied. "The more information we have, the better. And while we're there, we can look for the Falcon."

"The most important thing right now is that Anakin - young Anakin," Buffy corrected herself, "gets better. Until he gets stronger, I really don't want to tell him about his Coruscant, nor do I want to grill him on this new enemy."

"I agree," Dawn said. "In the meantime, we should try to convince him that we really mean no harm. And you," she jabbed a finger in Anakin's direction, "try to be a little more tactful, or next time I won't even give you an ice pack."

"And try not to lose your lightsaber again, Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a mock-serious tone. "That weapon is your life…"

"Oh, go spit," Anakin groused as he stalked out of the room, oblivious to the light laughter he left behind.

**TBC**

* * *


	5. Chapter 5:Guess Who's Comming To Dinner?

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my Beta and Editor, Fallenstar2.

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 5**

**Guess Who's Comming To Dinner?**

* * *

When next Anakin awoke, he saw Vi once again leaning over him, pushing her healing Force energies into his battered body. Anakin sighed. "I wish you would stop doing that," he muttered, ignoring her pained smirk.

"I don't think she can," a familiar voice replied. His head swung around and there, sitting before him, was his Aunt Mara.

Only, it wasn't his Aunt Mara. This Mara was younger, her hair slightly longer and no evidence of ever having been sick showed on her face. His face fell slightly as the truth finally, however unbelievable, started to sink in and Mara smirked.

"I'm not the Aunt you're looking for?" she asked wryly.

"No," he replied sadly. "This is too karking weird…"

"Tell me about it. To me, you're still an annoyingly cheerful six-year-old," Mara chuckled. "And yet, here you are - a young man who's been through too much." She sighed. "Is it too much to ask for a generation of peace?"

"We weren't meant to live boring lives," Anakin countered. Mara nodded her head.

"I'll give you that," she said.

Vi sighed and slowly made her way back to her bed. "G'night," she mumbled as she passed out.

Anakin looked at her, then back to Mara. "What did you mean, you don't think she could stop?" he asked.

"Her powers aren't normal for someone her age," Mara explained. "And the rate they are expanding is astounding. And there are times we tell her not to help, but she does anyway. And afterwards he tells us she had to. I think the Force is compelling her somehow to develop her powers; though why, I couldn't guess." She looked back to Anakin, and sighed as she watched him struggle to his feet. "Of course, she wouldn't need to heal you as much if you would just stay in bed."

"I'll heal faster if I get out of this room," he complained. "I feel like a prisoner…"

Mara smirked. "Nice try, Junior. But I'll tell you what - how about we take a walk outside? Some fresh air might do you good after all."

Anakin pulled on a robe and tied it at the waist and Mara appropriated a cane for him to lean on. The two slowly made their way to the door, where they were met by a frowning Dawn.

"You're as bad as my daughter," she muttered, shaking her head. "And where were you two going?"

"Just for a walk," Mara said smoothly. "Junior here could benefit from some fresh air."

Anakin glared at Mara. "Don't call me Junior."

"We have up to two Anakins here at a time," Mara countered. "It gets confusing without nicknames."

The three slowly made their way down the halls of the Council towards a pair of large doors that led to the expansive grounds. Anakin looked around in interest as they passed offices and various lounges on the way.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"The Watcher's Council," Dawn replied. "Remember what Buffy said about being a Slayer? Well, the Watchers train and assist the Slayers. This is our headquarters."

"I thought there was only one?" Anakin replied, confused. Dawn chuckled.

"There was. Now there are a couple thousand."

"And they're all crammed into this building?" Anakin asked incredulously. Dawn smiled and shook her head. She opened the door and ushered the boy out, who stared in surprise and wonder around him. On either side were two massive brick and glass buildings, both several stories tall. In between was a large courtyard that opened at the end to an expansive lawn. Anakin spied a grove of tall trees inn the background, on the far side of a lake, that was bordered by a low, white wall.

"Stang," Anakin said. Mara and Dawn shared a smile.

The three slowly made their way down the stairs and onto the lawn. Anakin looked around and saw the odd glances some of the girls around were giving him. Mara noticed.

"Slayers," she explained. "They know how you got here, so they're a bit jumpy. Don't worry, they'll calm down."

"Or it could be they think you're hot," Dawn added.

"Or both," Mara finished. Both older women fought not to laugh at the blush that infused the younger boy's face. "See, color! Fresh air's doing wonders already."

They continued to walk until they neared the lake. Anakin looked to the low wall and saw the names inscribed. He instantly realized it was a monument or memorial of some sort and a quick perusal of the names showed them to be almost all female, so Anakin took that to mean Slayers. A name caught his eyes.

**Buffy Summers**

**Slayer Reborn**

He looked questioningly at Dawn, who shrugged. "Some thought she was dead."

Anakin continued to look at the names closer to the end, noticed one name 'Violet 'Vi' Dames', then a name that caused him to catch his breath.

**Jacen Solo**

**Gone, but never forgotten.**

Below that were two more names

**Han Solo**

**Joyce Solo**

**Ain't dead yet**

He looked at Dawn with wide eyes. "Buffy was trapped on Corellia during the Clone Wars. She fell in love with a man named Jacen Solo - your, or rather our Anakin's grandfather. He already had one child - that would be Han - and they had a daughter, Joyce. The children actually survived, though Jacen was killed. We offered to take their names off, but Joyce liked that better." She gestured at their names, and Dawn shook her head. "Crazy Mandalorian…"

Anakin sputtered, then began to laugh. "Wait, wait… Joyce is Dad's, er Han's sister and she became a Mandalorian?"

Mara smiled. "The irony is not lost on us."

Anakin's brow furrowed. "Wait a minute. Buffy is Anakin's sister, right?"

Dawn nodded, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Adopted."

"And she was married-"

Dawn shook her head. "Engaged, not married," she corrected.

"Okay, she was engaged to my da-, er, Han's dad and had Joyce with him." Dawn nodded. "And older Anakin had his Luke and Leia, and Leia married Han?" Dawn smiled, and Mara stifled a laugh. "So, Buffy is Leia's Aunt, but Han's…"

Mara finally lost control and started laughing outright. Dawn just shook her head and placed a kind hand on his shoulder.

"Take my advice - trying to figure out our family dynamic will drive you insane."

* * *

Anakin spent the next few days in the infirmary, recovering his strength. Then one evening Vi came in, carrying a bundle of clothes. "We're having dinner in mom's apartment tonight. She thought you would like to come."

Anakin smiled. "Sure. Anything to get out of here."

A few minutes later a dressed Anakin was escorted slowly down the hall by Vi. Her incessant chatter was regularly punctuated by the click of Anakin's cane. They made their way down a hall, across a sky bridge that connected the main building with one of its outlaying buildings where the dorms were located. Dawn's apartment was located on the top floor, one of six apartments that were reserved for Senior Watchers. Though Dawn's status as a Senior Watcher was revoked several years ago, the fact that she was the Council's healer - along with having a family - had ensured that she got one of the larger apartments. Though it normally stood empty several months at a time as she studied on Yavin 4, tonight it was filled to bursting for the weekly family dinner.

Anakin's stomach was doing somersaults in his throat as he took in several familiar faces that, in fact, he didn't even know. There was Anakin Skywalker, over by Buffy, standing with a short, thin woman in a sharp business suit with short, brown hair flecked with grey. Standing near them was Joyce and next to her was Wedge Antilles, and a human male with a blue-skinned Twi'lek who was dressed in Jedi robes. His heart fluttered harder as he saw Dawn and a human male he assumed was her husband talking with Luke and Mara Skywalker and Han and Leia Solo - with Chewbacca.

"Hello there."

Anakin started and spun to face an older man, with thinning hair and a beard flecked with grey. He held out his hand. "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Anakin gingerly shook his hand. "H-Hi…"

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan said concernedly. "You're looking a bit peaky."

"It's finally starting to sink in," Vi noted sagely. "I think he needs to sit down."

"Yeah, so do I…" Anakin said weakly. The three moved over to a plush couch and Anakin sank into it. He looked around again and shook his head. "This is too weird…"

Vi shrugged her shoulders. "You get used to it."

* * *

"He's doing remarkably well, all things considered," Dawn was saying to Leia. "We took a walk earlier this week down to the lake." She smirked. "Got a bit of a shock when he saw your name," she nodded at Han. Chewie let out a small warbling laugh. Han rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Well, I thought it was funny," he argued.

Leia looked over worriedly at the young man as Obi-Wan led him to a couch. "Are you sure he's up to this?" she asked Dawn. The healer nodded.

"He needs to accept the reality of the situation," she explained. "It's one thing to meet Anakin Skywalker, it's another to meet his parents. Hopefully he can accept this, so he can work past it and concentrate fully on his recovery."

"I'm surprised you didn't want me to bring the children," Leia continued. "That would have driven the point home, I think."

Dawn shook her head. "One of the things about crossing dimensions - what happens if you meet your counterpart? There are several theories, but one that stands out - the same matter cannot exist in the same place at the same time, not without consequence."

"What kind of consequence are you talking about?" Luke asked. Dawn shrugged.

"I don't know. It's pretty hard to test, you know. Nothing could happen. Or the two could instantly cease to exist. The point is, there is enough ambiguity for me to want to keep the two mini-Anakins as far away from each other as possible."

They talked for a few more moments, then Leia excused herself and walked over to her would-be son. She paused for only a moment, then sat down on the couch across from him and smiled tentatively. "Hello, Anakin."

He stared blankly at Leia for a moment. "Uh..h-hello, mo-er…"

"You can call me Leia," she replied helpfully. Anakin gave her a grateful glance.

"Leia." He paused, then shook his head. "This is too weird," he repeated.

Leia chuckled. "You get used to it."

* * *

Soon the crowd took their seats around a large dining table, with Anakin sitting between Vi and his namesake. As they finished seating, Anakin Skywalker asked, "So, who cooked dinner tonight?"

"Buffy did," Dawn replied.

"So, who ordered take-out tonight?" Wedge asked. Buffy scowled at the laughter.

"Just for that, you get first helpings," she said behind narrowed eyes. He gave her a sheepish smile, but his amusement was clear in his eyes.

Buffy started laying out serving plates, aided by Threepio and Artoo. Anakin was assaulted by the smells of several different foods - all different than anything he had ever had, but still looking similar to things he knew. One thing he recognized was Corellian spice loaf, which Han was busy loading onto his plate. As he finished Anakin reached for the plate, but Vi slapped his hand away.

"You're still recovering," she said sternly, much to Buffy's amusement. "Soup for you."

Anakin scowled. "Isn't it time for your nap?"

Vi's eyebrow raised. "You start eating things that you can't handle yet and it will be," she said pointedly. Anakin sighed, then accepted a bowl of soup that Buffy placed in front of her.

"Chicken noodle," she explained. "Always helps when you're sick."

"You know, there's something else that always helps when you're sick…" Han started.

Leia slapped him lightly on the arm. "Yes, but you don't want to get him drunk, do you?"

"Parent of the year, that one," Wedge grinned. "That's how we Corellians do it."

"Well," Buffy started, sitting down. "Everyone, this," she gestured to Ani, "is Anakin Solo, our first visitor from the 3rd world. Anakin, I'm sure you recognize most of the people here, either from the counterparts you know or from seeing them around. The others are Xander and Master Secura," she gestured to the brown haired man and the Twi'lek, "my daughter Joyce," the woman in the Mandalorian armor, sans helmet nodded, "Master Jukassa," the man next to Dawn nodded politely, "The woman next to my Anakin is Padmé Amidala-Skywalker," the woman with the grey-flecked brown hair gave him a warm hello, "this old guy next to me is my husband, Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man with the beard nodded, "and finally, the hot chick on the end is Faith."

"Sup, Junior?" she asked, then smirked at his scowl.

"Don't call me junior."

They started digging in, polite conversation flowing easily around the table. Luke filled his parents in on how his first batch of students was faring at the academy; Anakin was amused to hear about the exploits of those who were either Knights or Masters in their own right in his day. Xander and Wedge talked about the status of the fleet and how they were preparing for the coming invasion - which Anakin realized, after just a few moments, was the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong.

"The Empire has its shipyards churning out Star Destroyers and the yards at Fondor and Corellia are assisting Mon Cal with theirs. If the estimates are right, we should have enough ships and troops to put a serious dent in…well, whatever comes out way."

"Wait, the Empire?" Anakin interrupted. "You and the Empire are working together?"

Padmé nodded. "Shortly before Endor, Buffy and my sister Willow struck a deal with one of the Grand Admirals named Thrawn. They made him realize that, for the good of the Empire, Palpatine must be stopped. After Endor, Thrawn took control of the Empire and we struck a deal of mutual existence. Both capitals are now on Coruscant."

Anakin shook his head. "Man, I've heard stories about Thrawn. In my universe, he pretty much single-handedly took an Empire that was in full retreat and turned it around in the span of a few months to where the New Republic was almost wiped out. He conquered whole planets without hardly firing a shot. I don't know much, though. It was before I was born."

"One of the things we used to convince Thrawn was information we had about an invasion from outside the galaxy," Buffy said. Anakin gaped, but before he could ask Buffy expounded. "Apparently Palpatine had a vision of the invasion, which he shared with Willow while she was Darth Traya. It was one of the many reasons he seized power."

"This is hardly a time for a debriefing," Wedge put in, "but when you're feeling better, I'd like to get any information you have on these invaders."

Anakin was silent for a moment. When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper. "They're called the Yuuzhan Vong. They came from outside the galaxy, in living vessels as big as planets called world ships. Their technology is completely biological - they hate machines of any kind. Their ships, weapons, even armor - is alive."

"Frak me," Faith said, mostly to herself. "That's just freaky."

"It get's worse," Anakin assured her. "The invasion started at Belkadan, then proceeded from there. The Helska system and Dubrillion fell in the span for a few weeks, Dantooine shortly thereafter. Sernpidal," he trailed off there, glancing over at Chewbacca. "They have organic devices called dovin basals, which manipulate gravity. They use them on their ships as engines and to generate gravimetric singularities that act as shields. They also use them as mines." He took a breath. "They placed one on Sernpidal, which pulled its moon down. I was there, with my dad and our Chewie. Chewie saved my life, but… but he got swept away from the Falcon and I couldn't reach him. I had to leave him behind on the planet, or all of the survivors we crammed into the Falcon would have died, too." There was a stunned silence as the reality of the situation sank in for them, then Anakin continued.

"They just kept coming. Bimmiel, Garqi, Generis, Agmar, Dathomir… Ithor was devastated, despite Master Horn defeating a Vong commander in single combat to preserve the planet. After he won, they destroyed it anyway. Yavin 4…" he shuddered as memories of his time on the planet came back to him, fighting the Vong, working with the Shamed Ones, rescuing Tahiri… "The list goes on. And it wasn't just the Vong we fought. Human sympathizers calling themselves the Peace Brigade sold out entire worlds - and the Jedi.

"The Jedi were the only thing that was effective in fighting the Vong and they knew it. So they called for our heads. 'Give us the Jedi, and we'll leave you alone'." He scoffed. "Dozens of Jedi were captured or killed by frantic people or Peace Brigadiers looking to save their own hides or serve their new masters. Master Luke - my Master Luke," he corrected, "set up a system for the Jedi to move safely throughout the galaxy to continue helping and moved the younger Jedi to a safe haven in the Maw.

"And then the voxyn came. Monsters genetically engineered by the Vong, designed for one thing only - to hunt and kill Jedi. Several died before we discovered the voxyn were clones from one central source; kill the source, kill the voxyn. I came up with a plan to sneak into their cloning facility on Myrkr with a team of Jedi to destroy the voxyn queen. That's were I was when I got…injured." He sighed. "I don't know if the mission was successful. The queen had fled and I was busy holding off Vong so Jacen could lead the team on. I don't even know if they survived."

There was silence for several minutes as the assembled digested this information. It was one thing to know an enemy was coming; it was something else entirely to know the grim details, including who would die. Finally, Anakin spoke.

"It's gotten worse," he said, looking down on his would-be nephew. "Joyce and I crossed over to your dimension to find your parents and tell them you were alive. When we got her, though, Coruscant was under attack. By the time we were forced to withdraw, it had fallen." At the boy's stricken look, he hastily added, "We flew cover for the Millennium Falcon on their way out. I felt Luke, Leia, Han and Mara on board, along with several others. I'm sure they made it out of the system."

"Fred's been unable to get a lock on his Coruscant," Dawn said, nodding at the younger Anakin. "She's not entirely sure why."

"Ani," Xander started, "in a few days, Wedge and I'd like to sit down with you and pick your brain about these guys."

Anakin nodded. "Anything I can do to help."

"Junior," Zett started, smiling at the glare Anakin sent his way, "I know you're anxious to start training again to get back into shape - and I'd be happy to assist you. But I'm afraid I won't allow it right now."

"And why not?" Anakin challenged. Zett smiled grimly.

"Well, first off, despite your speedy recovery you're still incredibly weak. You start now, you'll probably injure yourself. And second," he leaned forward and said in a mock whisper, "my wife would kill me."

* * *

Dinner broke up shortly thereafter. Anakin started for the infirmary, the events of the evening overtook him rapidly and Dawn led him to their couch instead. As everybody left, the older Anakin fetched a blanket and made to tuck the younger boy in. Anakin watched the older Jedi warily.

"You know," he said suddenly, "for the longest time, I was afraid I'd end up like you did, that I'd turn to the Dark Side. It was my biggest fear. I mean, I got over it eventually, but…"

"But seeing me had brought it all back?" the older Anakin finished. Ani nodded. "And now?"

Ani shrugged. "And now, I really don't know. You aren't anything like the history books say and nothing like I imagined."

Anakin smiled. "That's because I'm not your Anakin Skywalker. He grew up alone apparently. Me, I had Buffy - and she always kept me straight. More than once she pulled me back from the brink; and I think that I may have followed Palpatine if she hadn't intervened when she did. Maybe if your grandfather had someone like that, he wouldn't have fallen. And as long as you have someone like that, you shouldn't, either." He laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Remember, Anakin. A destiny is not a name. It's what you make of it." He gave his shoulder a squeeze and then Anakin stepped back, took Padmé by the arm and walked out of the apartment. Ani was settling back down into the couch when a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see the towering form of Chewbacca standing over, a soft expression on his face. Much like the older Anakin had, Chewie laid a comforting hand on Ani's shoulder.

"_If my counterpart was anything like me," _he stated in a soft Wookie howl,_ "then I would have been honored to die saving the life of Han Solo's son. And I would have thought it a fitting end that it took not some bounty hunter, or random storm trooper with a blaster to kill me, but a moon. That is an end I can readily accept."_

Anakin blinked away tears, then reared up and hugged the Wookie tightly. "Thank you," he whispered, Chewie barking a reply, then laid the boy back down and pulled the covers up over his chest. He ruffled Ani's hair and then he was joined by Han and Leia. Both said quiet goodnights to him, not knowing how much affection they should show, but not wanting to be cold, either. And then, they were gone, heading to another apartment in the building where they would be spending the night. Dawn checked on him once more, then turned off the light in the den and Anakin drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

"You're gonna wake them up!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Will you two be quiet?" an exasperated voice said. Moments later the locked clicked and the door to Dawn and Zett's apartment opened the dim light from the hall light illuminated the three small figures standing in the doorway - a boy and girl who were the same age and a younger boy who stood behind them. The girl smirked and put the lock picking tool back into a pouch on her belt.

"Easy as pie," Jaina Solo claimed. All of eight years old, Jaina was as good with mechanical things as Jacen was with animals and didn't miss an opportunity to show off her skills. Jacen was often impressed, but her little brother Anakin wasn't - he was already just as good, if not better, than she was.

"Why are we doing this again?" Jacen asked in a whisper.

"Because we couldn't go to dinner tonight," Jaina explained. "Something we always do. If we couldn't come, that means either they were talking about something we shouldn't be hearing, or Aunt Dawn's hiding something in her apartment. And I want to know what it is."

"And why am I here?" Jacen asked. Jaina rolled her eyes.

"Because you want to know, too," she insisted. Then she jutted her thumb at Anakin. "And he's here because he'd tell on us if we didn't bring him."

"Would not!" Anakin denied.

"Would too," Jaina retorted.

"Enough!" Jacen hissed. "Let's just find whatever it is and get out of here!"

The three quietly made their way into the living room and snooped around half heartedly_. It was hard to find a secret if you didn't have a starting poin,t_ Jaina thought sourly, but then she noticed something. The den door was cracked and she could hear a faint murmuring behind it. "I think I found it!" she whispered excitedly, moving to wards the door. Her two siblings followed. Gingerly she opened the door wider, then slid in.

The den was dark, but she could see the outline of a figure lying on the couch. She pointed it out to her brothers.

"Maybe he's some kind of demon they don't want us near," she said excitedly.

"Then maybe we shouldn't be near it," Jacen countered. The figure let out a loud groan and then rolled over, causing the children to gasp in shock. Lying before them, his face visible in the dim light, was Anakin Solo. But he was older - older even then Jaina and Jacen and much older than their brother who stood beside them right now.

"Stang!" Jaina and Jacen breathed. Anakin, beside himself with curiosity, found himself drawn towards his older counterpart. The twins, still shocked didn't even notice. It was then that several things happened at once.

The light switched on suddenly and the twins spun around on their feels to face a sleepy Dawn…

Anakin reached out with his small hand towards his counterpart…

Dawn noticed and cried out "Anakin!" even as she rushed forward to pull him back…

And the older Anakin's eyes shot open and, in reflex, he snatched the hand that was centimeters from his face by the wrist.

And then, the world exploded…..

_**TBC…**_


	6. Chapter 6: The Timecop Effect

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my Beta and Editor, Fallenstar2.

**A/N2:** I seriously thought of not posting this this week due to the underwhelming number of reviews to the number of hits I got, but I'm in a giving mood after all today. But please, review!

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 6**

**The Timecop Effect**

* * *

The first thing Anakin became aware of was his screaming. The second thing was that it wasn't coming from him. He groaned and rolled onto his side, his still-healing muscles screaming in agony that he pushed to the back of his mind, and saw Dawn leaning over a small figure on the ground. She moved slightly and he finally caught a look of the figures face - his own.

Instantly memories that weren't his started flooding back into his mind - living on Coruscant with his mother, with Winter only watching him and his siblings occasionally; going out with his father on the Falcon with Jacen for their annual father-son outings, dismantling one of the PPG's in Fred's lab, much to her horror; visiting the Academy on Yavin 4 and Uncle Luke's assurance hat he would attend too, once he was old enough…

A hand shaking his shoulder brought him out of the deluge of memoires and he saw Dawn's worried face hovering over his own. "Ani, can you hear me? Are you all right?"

Anakin winced and rubbed his temples. "Headache," he muttered. "How is…"

"I've sedated him for the time being. Can you tell me what happened? "

"Dunno. I grabbed his arm – reflex - then my head seemed to explode."

"Well, it seems to be in one piece." Dawn remarked.

"Memories… I have memories that aren't mine, but are…I remember mom raising me and the twins, but Winter raised us at first… going with Dad on the Falcon when I was still a baby…"

Dawn blanched. "You remember his life? But that would mean…" she looked down at the boy's unconscious form in horror and then turned to her husband. "Get Aayla, NOW!" she turned back to Anakin. "You, rest." She turned back to the twins, who were looking on in fear. "And YOU TWO, WHAT were you thinking, breaking into my apartment like that? Putting yourselves at risk like that!"

Jacen and Jaina were in tears. "W-we're sorry!" Jaina cried. "We only w-wanted to k-know what everybody was hiding from us! We didn't think-"

"No, you didn't think!" Dawn shot back.

"Dawn," Zett shot her a warning glance and Dawn took a cleansing breath. "I want you two to go back to your rooms and STAY THERE until I or your parents tell you otherwise. Now, go." She gestured with her hand towards the door. Jacen looked to be about to say something, but the look on Dawn's face shut him up and the two left.

Buffy and Dawn looked on from the observation room as Aayla Secura worked on the younger Anakin while Han and Leia sat by his side. Buffy looked to her sister. "So, what exactly happened?"

"We found out what happens when the same matter occupied the same space at the same time," Dawn replied grimly. "A merging of some sort. Luckily I was able to stop it quickly - who knows how far it would have progressed otherwise."

"Define 'merging'," Buffy said.

"Junior said he had memories that weren't his, but were his at the same time. I think, when they touched, they instantly shared all the knowledge, all the memories of the other. That works both ways." She looked knowingly at Buffy. "Ani experienced a hard life and a painful death in the matter of moments."

Buffy looked horror-stricken, then nodded grimly. "That's why you're having Aayla mind-rub him. To get rid of the painful memories."

Dawn nodded. "Hopefully, he'll be fine when he wakes up - though I suspect the three of them will be grounded for quite a while. Vi is with the twins right now, trying to keep them calm."

"We should go a little easy on them," Buffy said after a moment. "There was no excuse for breaking into your home, but we did keep them in the dark. Lord knows you would have done anything to discover a secret the adults were keeping from you when you were their age." She looked knowingly at the girl, who had the decency to blush. "As long as Ani J. will be alright, we shouldn't add on to whatever punishment Han and Leia give them."

Aayla finished, then said something quietly to Han and Leia before exiting the room. A moment later she entered the observation room.

"I've taken all I could dare to take," she began without preamble. "Mind rubbing is a delicate art - if I took too much, I would start to take away from who he is. As it stands, he will have a few of the other Anakin's memories mixed in."

"Nothing too horrific?" Dawn asked. The Twi'lek shook her head.

"No, I took all of that." She shuddered. "I saw what he went through, Buffy. We HAVE to help him!"

Buffy placed a comforting hand on her arm. "We will," she assured her.

* * *

**Borleias**

For a last desperate stronghold of the New Republic, the old Imperial base on Borleias was surprisingly easy to infiltrate.

Of course covert ops and infiltration were second nature to intelligence agents and Mandalorians alike and Joyce Antilles was both.

The hard part was finding out where the survivors of Coruscant had gathered. Once she had that info, though, it became easy. It took her two minutes after her arrival to find a storage locker with an unused uniform that fit. It then took three more minutes to slip inside the base and find an unused computer terminal that was out of the way that she could use. An additional five minutes to download all the information she could about the state of the New Republic, intelligence on the invaders and anything else that wasn't classified or encrypted.

It took her three more minutes to break the encryption and download their classified battle plans.

Once done, she quickly slipped back out of the complex, pausing only briefly to watch this universes' Wedge Antilles share a moment with Iella. It didn't take long for her to figure out they were married as two children soon came upon them and hugged the Corellian man's legs. She felt a twinge of jealousy and sadness, but pushed it aside. After all, her Wedge was still waiting for her back home.

Joyce slipped back into the jungle and shucked the uniform, retrieving her armor from its hiding place and putting it back on. It was then that she felt a twinge in her senses - not quite a feeling in the Force, but a more primal warning. Acting on instinct she ducked and immediately a projectile whirred past where her head had been and impacted a tree ahead of her. Still in motions she swung around, igniting her lightsaber and blocking a follow up attack. And for the first time she finally say her enemy.

He, if it was a he, was almost a head taller than her and ripped with muscles. He was clothed only in a loin cloth and a strange armor that covered his upper torso. His face was horribly scared and mutilated, and covered in tattoos. He was wielding what appeared to be a rigid serpent and, to her astonishment, the head of the serpent suddenly came alive and spat something at her face.

_Acid._ She thought, smirking to herself. Her armor and helmet was made from beskar, the Mandalorian iron notorious for being nearly impenetrable. The visor had several layers of acid protection and on top of that, her armor as a whole had been blessed by Tara with several protections spells. The acid just rolled off to the ground, where it sizzled. The Vong warrior pressed his attack, slashing and cutting with his amphistaff to no effect. Joyce let him attack, staying on the defensive as she gauged his fighting technique.

Finally, she got bored.

As the Vong brought his staff down again, Joyce swung her lightsaber blade up in a sweeping arc, slicing clean through it, much to the warrior's astonishment. She spun with her momentum, twirling the hilt of her lightsaber in her hand so the blade was now pointing down and thrust, piercing instantly through the Vong's armor and out of his back. The warrior had a moment to let out a gurgling sound, and then Joyce deactivated her blade, sending the Vong crashing to the ground. Joyce looked down at the creature with distaste.

"You're the scourge of the galaxy we've been worried about?" she shook her head. "You've got nothing on a Slayer." With that she activated her PPG and flashed out, leaving behind the fallen warrior - and his four companions who were still hidden in the forest around him.

* * *

The next morning when Anakin awoke, he found Leia sitting besides the couch, a paper novel in her hands. When she noticed him awake, she put down her novel and smiled.

"How are you feeling this morning?" she asked. Anakin could detect no hint of anger at him, for which he was thankful.

"Sore, but not more than usual," he replied. "How's your son?"

Leia smiled grimly. "Aayla erased most of the memories he gleaned from you, but a few things remained. Hopefully, none of the exceptionally bad thins you went through." She looked at him sadly. "I don't think we truly appreciated when you were saying at dinner until Master Secura described to us what she saw in my Anakin's mind. I'm truly sorry."

"Don't be," Anakin replied. "I wouldn't want to believe it either. How are Jacen and Jaina," he asked, quickly changing the subject. "Grounded?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Leia assured him. "Though judging by how shaken up the twins were, I'd say they learned their lesson." She looked at him. "Are your brother and sister as reckless?"

Anakin grinned. "Remind me to tell you about the trouble we got into on Coruscant. Or Corellia," he added.

Leia smiled wearily. "Well, it's good to know there are constants in the universe." She said. "Joyce went on a reconnaissance mission last night," she continued, rising. "She has information for you about your family. She'd also like to do a more formal debriefing, if you're up to it."

Anakin, eager to hear about his family nodded as he struggled to rise. "I'm up to it." He grinned wryly. "It's just a matter of getting up."

* * *

A short time later the two walked into a small office that Joyce had converted to serve her needs. It was sparsely decorated and had only three chairs set in front of a massive 'C' shaped desk, on which Joyce had a secured terminal set up with three monitors that were currently displaying the information she had gathered on her trip to the alternate Borleias. Joyce was engrossed in the reading as the door entered and she looked up to see Anakin entering with Leia.

"You're here, good," she began, gesturing at the seats. She hesitated, looking at Leia. "You can stay if you want Princess, but you might not like what you'll hear."

"I'll stay," Leia replied, placing a hand on Anakin's forearm and giving it a slight squeeze. Anakin smiled in thanks.

"You have information?" he asked.

Joyce nodded. "Yes. We're just- ah," she stopped as the door opened again and Wedge and Xander entered. "Good, the gang's all here," she said as the two said their hellos and took the additional seats. She looked at Anakin. "A faction of the New Republic military, led by your Wedge Antilles, has retaken Borleias and are doing what they can to hold it. I say a faction, because the New Republic is heavily splintered at this time. Indeed, from what I gathered from their files, the so-called leaders of the New Republic basically wanted Wedge and the rest of the troops to sacrifice themselves holding this planet to give them more time to prepare their home systems."

"Politicians," Xander and Wedge said simultaneously. Joyce nodded.

"Well, in any dimension, Wedge is no fool. He agreed, but in return he got fully resupplied - and he made them give up what appears to be their last Super Star Destroyer, the Lusankya."

"Did he talk them into a raise?" Wedge asked.

Joyce smiled briefly, but her face turned grim. "I got a list of survivors from your mission to Myrkr. Jaina, Zekk, Alema Rar, Ganner Rhysode, Tesar Sebatyne, Tekli, Lowbacca, Tenel Ka and Tahiri Veila." She paused as the elation he felt at hearing Tahiri was still alive faded and the truth began to sink in. "Your brother Jacen was reported captured and later the Jedi said they felt his death through the Force. I'm sorry." Anakin's grief was only matched by that of Leia who, although she knew it wasn't her son, recognized the fact that it could be her son in just a few years. Anakin dropped his head into his hands and let out a small sob, but fought to compose himself.

"We never really made up," he said quietly to no one in particular. "We've been fighting since the beginning of the war. He felt it wasn't the Jedi's place to be using the Force to fight the war, that the Force wasn't some tool to be used. He refused to fight for the longest time - even talked me out of using Centerpoint Station to destroy a Vong fleet."

They were silent for a few minutes, then Joyce continued. "From what information I gathered, Tenel Ka has taken up the mantel of Queen Mother of the Hapes Cluster following the death of her mother and Jaina - of all things - is now considered by the Vong to be either the avatar of or the corporeal incarnation of their Trickster Goddess- and is being treated as such by Wedge's forces to maintain a rather clever disinformation campaign."

Anakin blinked and a small smile quirked on his lips. "I bet she hates that," he said after a few moments. Joyce arched an eyebrow.

"Indeed," she smirked, but it faded as quickly as it came. "Anakin, I know the last few days have been rough, especially with what happened the other night… but I'd like to get your account on this invasion. WE have raw data," she gestured at the screens, "but that doesn't tell us everything."

"Any insights, any tactics you've discovered," Wedge added. "Anything that we can use to end this war before it begins would be helpful."

Anakin nodded, then took a few moments to compose his thoughts. And then he began. He spoke for hours about the first days of the invasion, the assault on Dubrillion and the assault on the Helska system, along with Jacen's rescue of the scientist Danni Quee. He told them how the Vong fighters - coral skippers - have the ability to use their dovin basals to strip the shields off of the New Republic fighters, and how Kyp Durron's Dozen and Two Avengers had been decimated in the first attack because of that. He spoke of the grutchins and how they destroyed massive New Republic ships with relative ease. It became apparent that the New Republic only won the first battle out of sheer luck.

Leia listened in abstract horror as he continued the story, talking about his time with Mara on Dantooine and how he was forced to protect the ill Jedi Master from the hordes of incoming Vong warriors. It was while he was talking about discovering the spies in the survivor's camp that Joyce stopped him.

"You've mentioned that you can't sense Jedi through the Force. Correct?" Anakin nodded and Joyce continued. "Well, I ran into some of their warriors on Borleias. And I sensed them just fine."

Anakin looked at her confused. "But how?" he asked. "I mean, I was able to develop a sort of 'Vong-sense' by using one of their lambent crystals in my lightsaber, but I doubt you got one in yours."

Joyce shook her head. "No, I don't," she said, then frowned. "You know, in space around Coruscant, the elder Anakin said he couldn't feel anything either; but I could."

Xander looked at her, amused. "And you haven't figured it out yet?" he asked, ignoring her scowl. "Who is your mother?" he asked suddenly.

Joyce looked at him sideways. "Buffy I-Have-Too-Many-Last-Names-To-Count," she replied, drawing snickers from both Wedge and Leia. Xander just looked on indulgently.

"And what is she?"

"A Jedi Master."

Xander shook his head. "No, WHAT is she?"

Comprehension dawned. "A Slayer. And I inherited some of her Slayer abilities."

"So you're sensing them with your Slayer senses. Mystery solved."

"That would give you a hell of an advantage," Anakin admitted. "I wish we had people like you in my dimension."

"Anakin," Wedge started, "you told us that the Vong were infiltrating the refugee camps, posing as humans. But from the pictures we have, they're all horribly scarred and marked. How do they pass?"

"By using creatures called ooglith masquers," he replied. "They're creatures that the Vong wear over their entire bodies that perfectly mimic human form."

He continued then, talking about Ithor and Corran Horn's desperate ploy to save the planet, that in the end backfired through no fault of his own. He told of how public sentiment increasingly turned against the Jedi, despite they doing everything they could to stop the invasion, how the Peace Brigade was formed and how it sold out Jedi, refugees, or entire worlds to the Vong.

Corruption in the Senate, hunting of the Jedi and his Uncle Luke's attempt to keep them safe, Mara's battle with he strange illness and the birth of Ben, the mysterious Verger… on and on he talked, for hours, explaining in detail all of the tricks he had either discovered or practiced in fighting the Vong, up until the mission to Myrkr. His voice trailed off as he talked about telling Jacen to continue the mission, and Leia cleared her throat.

"I thi-" a small sob escaped her, but she forced the feelings back down, "I think that's enough, don't you?"

Wedge nodded. "Definitely. I can take the tactical aspects back with me right now and begin drawing up battle plans."

"I'm going to run some ideas by Andrew," Xander announced. At Wedge's dubious look, he elaborated. "We're going to need new kinds of capital ships to take on these guys, and Andrew thinks far enough outside the box that we should get some damn good ideas."

Wedge nodded reluctantly. "Just make sure he doesn't design us the Galactica."

Joyce looked Anakin over. "How are you feeling? Physically, I mean?" she asked.

Anakin shrugged. "Stiff, a bit lethargic. And my leg is still bothering me. Why?"

"If Dawn agrees, I want you to start training with the Slayers," she said. "It's become apparent to me that it won't be enough just to get you healthy and send you home, we should take the opportunity to prepare you properly. After all - these things are monsters and that's what a Slayer kills for a living." She grinned ferally. "Trust me; by the time you go home, you'll be able to take out a squad on your own with only a stake."

"Perhaps Mara can train with you on your lightsaber technique as well," Leia suggested, looking to Joyce, then Anakin. "She's an expert on form 2, which emphasizes one on one duels more than the other forms. It should also give you and edge in a fight."

Anakin nodded. "Sounds good to me," he replied.

* * *

Andrew had been in seventh heaven.

For the first time he had been allowed to cross over into the 2nd world, onto a planet covered in massive skyscrapers and flying cars and given an office with more high-tech goodness than he could shake a phaser at. And with it was Xander's rather simple order:

"Design for me a warship that can stand up to the Yuuzhan Vong." He then gave him all the data he had and left him alone. Within two days he had a design ready.

But Xander, rather pointedly, refused to build the Pegasus.

Andrew had shrugged it off and gotten back to work. By the next day he had another design ready.

But Xander, who was beginning to get annoyed, said he wouldn't build the Defiant, either. Then he gave him a disk containing New Republic and Empire ship designs and told him to work off of those.

That had been a bit harder, but Andrew was nothing if not imaginative. And within a few days, he had it. So now he stood outside a boardroom with Xander as the General briefed him on what he was about to do.

"Now Andrew, I need you to focus." Andrew nodded. "Good. Now, listen to me very carefully. In that room are Admirals, Generals, Senators and other various government officials. Wedge, as we speak, is filling them in on what we have learned. What I need you to do is in a very straight-forward way, present your ship design, tell them of the benefits and explain to them why we need to start building these things now. Okay?" Andrew nodded again. "And Andrew," Xander added, "stay very professional. No gawking at the aliens or making sci-fi references that only you and I would get. This is a matter of life and death - with trillions of lives at stake." Xander grinned. "So no pressure." And with that, he led him in.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Xander began as Wedge took his seat, "If I may present to you Andrew Wells, an associate of mine from the Watcher's Council. Due to his…unique experience…I've asked him for his assistance in designing us a new class of warship to help us fight the Yuuzhan Vong."

"If I may," one of the senators, whom Andrew recognized as Borsk Fey'lya, interrupted, "what exactly is his experience in these matters? Is he not from your…dimension?" he said the last word with an air of distaste.

Xander was about to answer, but Andrew beat him to it. "Actually, I spend several hours everyday conducting battle simulations while trying to discern new ways of beating them. That includes both ground and space combat, along with tactical combat for a little variety. I also like to look into new kinds of technology and try to either develop them, or find a way it could be useful to our dimension." He smiled blandly and, though his features were schooled in am impassive mask, inside Xander was deeply impressed, and made a note to ask for a raise for Andrew when he got back. "Now, if I may…" he paused for a minute at the controls, then typed in a sequence that brought a hologram of a large, impressive looking ship to life. While it had the same triangular shape of a Star Destroyer, there the similarities ended. The conning tower was gone, leaving the sip to be a long, nearly flat wedge lined with dozens of gun emplacements and missile tubes.

"This," he began, clamping down on nerding out over the very detailed hologram, "Is a variation of a design that had been submitted a while back. It's the Nebula-class Star Destroyer. Due to the nature of the attackers it will be facing, I've upgraded and expanded the weapons compliment and moved the bridge form the top here," he pointed to the top where the bridge had been, "to deep inside the actual hull. I've removed the windows and increased armor plating around vital sections, including engineering and the computer core. It will hold a crew of around 6800 and can carry up to 1600 troops and 15,000 metric tons of cargo simultaneously…"

* * *

The rest of the meeting went off without a hitch and Andrew showed a remarkable degree of maturity in answering some very tough questions from the assembled leaders. Even Fey'lya seemed impressed at the end, though that was probably due more to the fact that he owned several thousand shares in the Bilbringi shipyards where they would undoubtedly be manufactured. As the last of the group filed out, Andrew was left alone with Wedge and Xander.

"Well, how'd I do?" he asked. Xander beamed.

"Brilliant, man. Just brilliant," he said. "You are so getting a raise when we get back."

"Very well done, Andrew" Wedge conceded with a grin. "But I have to ask - how exactly do you conduct battle simulation on Earth?"

Andrew shrugged sheepishly. "World of Warcraft and Command & Conquer."

Xander's howls of laughter could be heard clear down the hall.

**_TBC…_**


	7. Chapter 7:The Nightmare Before Christmas

**

* * *

**

Disclaimer:

See Chapter 1

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my beta/Editor Fallenstar2.

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 7**

**The Nightmare Before Christmas, Part I**

* * *

The next day Anakin made his way down to the gym with the aid of Mara. The gym was a large, open area that had various pieces of odd equipment lining two of the walls and rows of punching bags lining the third. The fourth wall was covered in mirrors and several padded benches were set up in front of them. He saw several Slayers using the benches for sit ups, curls, or just a place to sit as they hefted dumbbells. The central area was clear, with only a thin pad on the floor and right now Dawn was leading Vi and several slayers in - dance?

Mara looked on, studying the girls. She saw the look in his eyes and smiled. "Don't dismiss it out of hand," she warned. "Look at how she moves, how fluid she is. It's how she fights now."

"It's a little flashy," Anakin complained. Mara looked down at him.

"She fought like a Jedi and I nearly killed her. She fought like that," she pointed to Dawn, "and she killed a very powerful Sith Lord. You do the math." Anakin's eyebrows shot up and he found himself paying closer attention.

They wound up their routine and then Dawn called for a stop. "All right, that's enough girls. Good work."

"Thanks, old lady," Rona teased. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Watch it sister, I could still take you," she shot back. Then she turned to Anakin. "When you get stronger we can start on your dance technique…" she started, eyes dancing.

"I don't think that form will mesh with what I want to teach him," Mara put in and Anakin sighed. But then Mara added, "Of course, it would definitely help his stamina…" She smirked at his look.

"You'd be surprised how many different forms you can go through in a single fight," Dawn noted, turning to look back at Vi and a slayer named Belle as they started the music again. The two moved gracefully together and it was obvious that hey had practiced together many times before. "Vi's been training more and more with my old team since we moved back here," she said to Mara. "She wants to go out patrolling with them."

"Not a chance in Kessel," Mara said, shaking her head. Dawn grinned.

"My thoughts exactly, but she's definitely developing some serious skills." The pride was evident in her voice. "She'll probably try sneaking out soon."

"They wouldn't let her," Mara argued. "They don't want to piss off the Jedi." Mara turned to Anakin. "Well, you're still recovering, so we'll wait on lightsaber training. For right now let's work on rebuilding your muscles." They spent the next hour an a half going through very basic exercises, with some light weight training thrown in for good measure. By the time they were wrapping it up, Anakin's whole body was sore and he was cursing his weakness. Mara saw the look in his eyes and fixed him with a glare.

"Hey, a little over a month ago, you jumped in here clinically dead. Now you're up and about and starting to train again. It's going to be hard at first, but once you get into a rhythm, you'll be fine."

"Maybe, but in the meantime I'm no closer to going back and helping my family," he complained. His thoughts strayed to Tahiri and he wondered how she was doing, if she was alright…if she was still alive.

Mara smiled, sensing where his mind had wandered to. "Hold on to those feelings, Anakin," she advised. "They'll get you through the hard times. For now, though, go hit the showers."

* * *

Anakin showered, dried and put on some of the clothes that the Council had provided or him. As he left the locker room, he saw Vi sitting on a bench, swinging her feet.

"How'd you feel?" she asked. Anakin tried to grin, but it came out as a grimace.

"I'm hurting in places that I didn't even know I had." Vi laughed.

"You could ask Belle for a massage. I'm sure she wouldn't mind," she snickered at his look. "Or, you can come with me. It's family night. You can relax with the rest of us bums."

"You know, technically I'm not family," Anakin pointed out. Vi gave him another look.

"Sure you are," she said, taking his had and pulling him towards the exit. For some reason, her answer had warmed his troubled heart.

The two made their way down to the large lounge where, much to Anakin's amazement, the combined Summers, Skywalker, Solo and Antilles families were gathered. Dozens of comfortable looking chairs - and one long couch - sat facing a large screen and most everybody was already seated. Vi dragged him to the couch and pushed him into it; Anakin actually sank slightly into the comfortable fabric. Vi jumped on besides him and leaned over the back, looking at her mother.

"Look what I found, moping in the gym," she said cheekily. "Probably was going to spend the rest of the night brooding down there…"

"I just got out of the shower," Anakin complained, then grinned. "I didn't have time to brood."

Dawn shook her head and made a soft clucking sound with her tongue. "Junior, you should know - there's only one person here allowed to brood and that's Angel."

Vi snorted, while Anakin just looked confused. He shook his head and turned to look as three more people joined him on the couch - and his heart caught in his throat. For sitting next to him were Jaina, Jacen, and the younger Anakin - who was as far away as the couch allowed.

"Hi," Jaina said. "We wanted to say sorry about the other night…"

Anakin managed to regain some of his composure and shook his head. "It's okay. You couldn't have known. I sure didn't." he looked to his younger counterpart. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied. "Just…don't touch me anymore, okay?"

"Only if you don't touch me. Deal?" he grinned slightly as he held out his hand to shake.

"Deal," Ani Jr. replied, looking at his hand. "Do you really think we're that dumb?"

"Naw, just wanted to make sure you were at least as sharp as me," Anakin replied. The twins both groaned.

"Great, now there's two of them," Jacen muttered. Anakin snickered.

"Well, it's only fair, seeing as there are always two of you," he replied.

"We have doubles, too? What are they like?" Jaina asked excitedly. Even Ani Jr. looked interested. Anakin smiled.

"You'd be surprised at how similar the four of you are."

"Attention, everyone?" Buffy called as she made her way to the front. "I'm glad everybody made it tonight for our monthly family movie night. Tonight, by popular demand, we'll be seeing 'Raiders'…" she trailed off as Han let out a groan and Buffy smiled. "It's for the kids, Han, so be quiet. Now I know we try to do this once a month, but as things are getting increasingly busy for all of us - between politics and ramping up to repel the coming invasion…" she trailed off and looked to Anakin. "Well, I think all of us here know that, when that time comes, some of us may never come to one of these again, though I pray to god and the Force that that isn't so." She took a breath. "Well, enough of that. Lights, camera, action!" the lights dimmed and a hidden projector flickered to life, shaking Anakin out of his reverie. He looked on in confusion, then leaned over to Vi.

"What are we watching, a holo-vid?" he asked. Vi shook here head.

"Nope. Nothing but old-fashioned Earth style movies here. Just sit back and watch; I think you'll like it." She finished with a small smile as the Paramount logo on the screen faded to reveal a mountain top. And then a man in a wide-brimmed hat came onto the screen…

* * *

Two hours later, Anakin was sitting on the couch leaning forward, his jaw agape. He heard giggles and saw the other four kids pointing at him. He raised and eyebrow, the giggles became snickers. He turned around to look at Han, who sighed and shrugged.

"Kid, I've given up trying to figure this place out," he said. "Though it's got points, having an actor that good looking in the lead…"

"Hush, dear," Leia said, trying to hide her own grin.

Anakin sat back and closed his eyes. "Why does this weird stuff always happen to me?"

* * *

Days turned into weeks and soon it was the end of December. Anakin's recovery had proceeded faster than he had expected as his body grew used to his new exercise routine. Before a month had passed he had proceeded to lightsaber training with Mara, as well as taking dance lessons with Dawn. Vi and Belle also assisted in these lessons and Belle always seemed to be around when he needed a sparing partner. Anakin was beginning to think she had a crush on him and observation he put forth to Vi on day. The young girl just rolled her eyes.

"You're just now figuring that out? My, you are a thick one, aren't you?" she had replied. That had made the continuing lessons a bit awkward for the young Jedi. One day after their workout, Belle stopped him as he went to hit the showers.

"An'kin," she began in her Cockney accent, "Can I have a mo'?" Anakin nodded and the two moved over to a quieter corner of the gym. "I was wonderin' if you'd like to go out this weekend? Maybe have some fun?" she added, looking at him expectantly. Anakin noticed the look and his mind instantly flashed to a conversation he'd had with Faith about Slayers and the two H's. Still, he considered his response before replying.

"Belle…" he began awkwardly, cursing the fact that he didn't have his father's smoothness, "part of me would really like to…"

"Only part?" she teased. Anakin gave a weak grin.

"It's just… there's this girl, back home…"

"…and you want to wait for her," Belle finished. Much to his relief, she gave him a broad grin. "I think tha's sweet."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Mos' guys I know, they were in your shoes, they'd jump at the chance." She looked at him for a moment. "She must be a heck of a girl."

Anakin thought of Tahiri and smiled. "Yeah, she is."

* * *

The days leading up to Christmas were a confusing time for Anakin. It wasn't as if he had never seen celebrations like it back home, it was that he just didn't grasp the concept of the holiday, a point he brought up with Dawn during one of his checkups.

"So what, exactly, does a jolly fat man in a red suit riding around in a flying sleigh pulled by animals have to do with the birth of one of your gods?"

Dawns topped and considered this for a moment. "You know, I have no idea. Christmas to me was always a time where I got off school for a few weeks and got presents."

"So much for faith," Anakin grinned. Dawn shot him an ironic look.

"Junior, I travel to other dimensions, move things with my mind and fight using a long, glowing staff. I have faith, it's just been…reassigned."

The door opened and Belle poked her head in. "Hey, An'kin! Hey, Dawn!" she said smiling at the two. "Either of you wan 'ta come patrol? How 'bout it, Dawn, for old times sake?"

Dawn smiled and shook her head. "Not tonight, I got the late shift in the infirmary."

Anakin shook his head as well. "I'm not that mobile yet. Maybe in a few weeks, or sometime before I head back."

Belle just shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, well, Jus' thought I'd ask. Later!"

"See you later, Belle," Anakin replied, watching her leave. He said his goodbyes to Dawn and left the room, heading towards the coven room and thinking he could spend most of the night meditating. Little did he know that this was about to become one of the worst of his life.

* * *

It was after midnight when Anakin finally started making his way back to the infirmary. He was leaning heavily on his cane - he had sat in one position for to long, and his leg had cramped in response. He was almost there when he heard the panicked voices coming from inside the infirmary, so he picked up his pace and entered. As soon as he cleared the door though, he froze.

Rona's team was gathered around a single bed, all of them showing battle scars and still-bleeding wounds. And lying on the bed was Belle. She was deathly pale, had several long gashes on her torso and Anakin fleetingly noticed blood around her mouth. Dawn and Vi were leaning over her, trying their best to heal her.

"What happened?" Dawn snapped, concentrating as hard as she could. But something was wrong…

"We got ambushed. Twenty vamps. She got separated in the chaos. As soon as we found her, we retreated."

"She's lost a lot of blood, but something's still there," Dawn muttered. Her expert hands moved over Belle's body, stopping at a spot on her side, just under her arm pit.

Two small puncture holes, less than two inches apart.

Dawn's eyes flew open. "Oh my god, she's been bitten," she said, looking at the blood around the Slayer's mouth. She quickly fixed Rona with a glare. "Did they make her drink? Did they?"

"I don't know," Roan answered hysterically, "maybe… just heal her!"

"If she's been turned, I can't 'just heal her'!" Dawn snapped back. "Our powers don't work that way! If the demon's taken hold-" she was cut off as suddenly Belle's hand shot out, grasping the steel equipment tray next to her bed and whipping it around and smashing it into Dawn's head while simultaneously kicking out, catching Rona and Molly and sending them sprawling. Dawn collapsed to the ground, stunned as Belle's other hand shot out and grabbed Vi by her neck. She sat up and Anakin finally caught site of her face, which now wore a demonic visage.

She was no longer Belle, the Vampire Slayer, she was Belle, the _VAMPIRE-SLAYER._

"I'd say that's a pretty good bet," she snarled, stopping to punch Michelle, another of Rona's group, hard, sending her sprawling into Anakin. They both crashed to the ground as Belle rose, her hand still locked onto Vi's neck. The young girl whimpered, tears streaming down her face as the vampire punched her back into a wall. Bell leaned down, her fangs grazing Vi's young neck. "I always like veal…" she snarled as she prepared to sink her teeth into her neck.

Anakin saw Belle push Vi back into a wall and frantically thought about what he should do. He remembered talking with Buffy about vampires one day. _If you're going to be here, _she had said_, you need to be prepared for the eventuality that a vampire or demon will breach this compound. If it's a vampire, remember this - decapitation, fire, holy water, or a wooden stake through the heart will get the job done…_ He looked down at his hand and saw his cane and made a decision. He staggered to his feet and snapped it in half, then lunged at Belle, stabbing into her back and piercing her heart. Belle gasped and the demonic visage faded. For a moment she looked at Vi, mouthed the words _I'm sorry_, then exploded into a cloud of dust.

When Dawn finally managed to drag herself up, she saw Rona, Michelle and Molly gathered around Anakin, who was holding her sobbing daughter and a small pile of dust. Her heart absolutely plummeted at the site.

It was several hours later when things finally calmed down. Not wanting to stay in the infirmary any longer, Anakin decided to sleep on the couch in the lounge. Faith and Buffy were leaving in the morning to notify Belle's family, as well as bring her an urn containing the young girl's ashes. Dawn was once again thankful that the Slayers had all agreed to cremation upon death; Belle's parents never need know what their daughter was turned into. Dawn had given Vi something to help her sleep and put her down, but she herself was restless. So she sat in her living room, holding a familiar picture in her hands and spent the next few hours before daylight staring at it. The picture showed her younger self with Zett, Molly, Rona, Belle and Vi, standing before the council building, their arms draped over each other's shoulders. She smiled sadly at the picture as her tears splashed onto the glass; she remembered how uptight Zett had been back then, and how hard it had been to get him to loosen up even for that brief moment.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to her husband's worried face. He had been at the academy, she realized. He had no idea what had happened.

"Dawn?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

She glanced down at the picture once more. "Another soldier down," she said simply, before breaking down completely. Dawn spent the next few hours crying in the arms of her husband, mourning her fallen friends.

* * *

The following night, Buffy and Faith stood on Buffy's balcony, looking over the lake. Both led short glasses with Corellian brandy - Faith's was almost gone, while Buffy still had a while to go. They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes, just looking at the scenery before Buffy finally sighed.

"It never gets easier, does it?" she asked. Faith shook her head.

"I hate that part of the job," she said. "Sometimes I think the dying have it easier."

"Tell that to Vi. Or Anakin," Buffy reasoned, thinking of how they had to deal with the vamped Slayer. Faith looked down to the memorial wall, where Tara was magically inscribing Belle's name into the marble.

"Someday we'll be on that thing," she said, nodding towards the wall. She finished her drink. "When I kick, I want it to read Faith Lehane: Took 'em Long Enough'." She grinned, looking at Buffy. "What about you, B? What do you want on your tombstone?"

Buffy chuckled. "Are you kidding? My name will take up all the space." She paused and took a sip of her drink. "Party's tomorrow?"

"That's when they wanted it," Faith confirmed. "All Slayers will be present."

It had been decided by all of the Slayers upon the reformation of the Council that when one of their numbers died, there would be no funeral. Instead, there would be a party; a celebration of life - the survivors, the deceased, everyone's. There would be words spoken and drinks raised, but there would be few tears. That was how they wanted it and any new Slayers that came in agreed with the reasoning.

They were silent for a few minutes before Faith spoke again. "Do you ever think about it?"

"About what?"

"Death," Faith replied. "What comes after. Where our souls go when we die."

Buffy shrugged. "Back into the Force, I suppose."

"And for us mere mortals?"

Buffy smiled. "We're all part of it, Faith. Even if you can't sense it."

Faith nodded. "Just promise me something."

"Okay," Buffy said uncertainly.

"If I come back like Belle did, don't even bother checking for bite marks. Just stake me." She shuddered. "I don't want to come back when I die, like Belle. I want it to end."

"I promise," Buffy said, looking at her sister Slayer. "But only if you promise the same."

Faith gave her a lopsided grin. "Are you kidding? I'd kill you for a Klondike Bar."

"Nice."

**_TBC…_**


	8. Chapter 8: Nightmare Before Christmas 2

**

* * *

**

Disclaimer:

See Chapter 1.

**A/N:** Thanks as always to my editor/beta Fallenstar2, the Sole Survivor.

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 8**

**The Nightmare Before Christmas Part II: Guess who's coming to dinner?**

* * *

Joyce sighed in frustration as she closed her connection to the cities central computer. She had been on Mon Calamari for the past week, trying to get in touch with Han and Leia to tell them about Anakin. But, always, she just can't seem to get in touch with them. They were due back sometime within the next few days, but she was due back in her office tomorrow and couldn't afford to wait.

_I could leave them a holo-message, she mused. Yeah, that would go well - Hey, Han! This is your sister that doesn't exist in this dimension calling to tell you your youngest kid is alive and recuperating in another dimension…_

The only good thing to come out of this trip was finding out that his brother Jacen was alive and back among friends, having escaped captivity from the Vong with a creature named Vergere - a creature purported to be a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic. That was a piece of information she put aside to bring up with her mother when she got back to report. Joyce paused at a balcony overlooking he expansive ocean, staring at the rippling waters. So engrossed was she that she didn't sense the presence coming up behind her until the person spoke.

"Some view, huh?"

Joyce silently cursed herself for letting her guard down. _Female, late teens, slight accent - Corellian, I - oh, shit._ She silently cursed again as she realized the person behind her was Jaina Solo. She had considered approaching the twins when she learned of their presence here, but Jacen was too well guarded and Jaina - well, according to past reports, she was a bit emotionally unstable and would hardly be receptive of her news. She had hoped then to steer clear of the kids while she conducted her business, but fate, it seems, didn't agree with that idea.

"I've seen better," she finally replied, not looking at the girl. She hated the fact that she hadn't worn all of her armor - a Mandalorian was too conspicuous walking around the floating city. Instead she only wore her bracers and shin guards under her loose-fitting clothes.

"That accent - Mandalorian, right?" Joyce grunted in surprise, the girl was good. "Where's your armor?"

"To humid for armor here," she lied. No need to tell her that Mandalorian armor had temperature regulators built in to it.

"Funny, I thought maybe it got damaged on Borleias and needed repairs."

That stopped Joyce. There was no way she had been spotted…

"Never been to Borleias," she replied evenly. "Heard it wasn't that good of a vacation spot."

"Unless you were hunting Vong."

Joyce smirked, back still to the girl. "I don't hunt Vong, I just kill them if they get in my way. Kind of like annoying girls who think that being allowed to carry a lightsaber gives her the right to question anybody she pleases."

Jaina's tone was harsh. "No, it only gives me the right to question suspected enemy spies. Raise your hands slowly and turn around."

Joyce sighed and raised her arms, turning around as she did so. As she expected Jaina gasped as she finally saw her face - the resemblance to Han was startling. Jaina's eye's narrowed. "Name," she demanded.

Joyce sighed, then decided to go for broke. "Name's Joyce. I have a message from your brother for your parents."

"Yeah?" Jaina shot back. "Well, my brother's already here and my parents will be here soon. But you can give you message to the security services…"

"Wrong brother."

That stopped Jaina short and Joyce could feel the anger coming off the girl in waves. "That was the LAST thing you should have said…"

"You better watch that temper of yours, Jedi," Joyce mocked. "Before it gets you into trouble…"

Jaina had heard enough and lunged forward with her blade, aiming for Joyce's abdomen. But Joyce wasn't there. The Slayer-come-Jedi expertly spun out of the way of the blade, moving in towards Jaina and landing a powerful backhand on the girl that sent her staggering back. To Jaina's credit, though, she recovered almost instantly and lunged, this time aiming for the shoulder. Joyce let the glowing blade come inside her range, then brought her wrists together, locking the blade between her beskar bracers. Jaina's eyes widened in shock at the seemingly impossible move.

"Beskar's lightsaber proof, sweetie. Now listen," Joyce said. "Anakin's alive and he's coming home as soon as he can…."

"You LIE!" Jaina shouted, lashing out with the Force with a powerful push that sent Joyce flying back towards the rail. She hit hard, bending the durasteel rail and driving the air out of her lungs. Jaina, not thinking, rushed at Joyce with her lightsaber raised and collided with the Mandalorian. The impact finally broke the rail and Joyce only had time to exclaim "Holy shit!" before the two surprised women tumbled over the side. Doing the only thing she could think of, Joyce frantically slapped at the emergency return button on her PPG and the two Jedi disappeared in a flash of white light.

* * *

Anakin Skywalker was walking down the halls of the Council, his mind preoccupied with the events of the past two days. He had known Belle; indeed, both he and Padmé had become friends with Dawn's old group. Her death was saddening; the way she died was horrific. He worried about Dawn, thinking of the last time this had happened, but was confident enough to believe that she would pull though this. The person he was most worried about was Vi. She acted so mature that a lot of time people forgot that she was only an eight-year-old girl, and she had been exceedingly close with the group. Indeed, it seemed to Anakin that Vi and Belle were developing a friendship that was close to what Dawn and Vi had so many years ago before she died.

He was drawn out of his thought by a sudden commotion coming from the embarkation room. Curious and a bit cautious, he drew his lightsaber and cautiously made his way into the room.

Moments later he exploded out through the wall, followed closely by Joyce. Moments later, Jaina appeared, a wild look in her eye and two lightsabers - one hers, the other's Anakin's; still lit as she sprinted down the wall.

On the floor meanwhile, Anakin groaned and looked to Joyce. "Why is it whenever we have visitors, I go though a wall?" he groused.

Joyce grinned sheepishly, then winced. "Oops."

* * *

"Thanks for seeing me."

"It's no problem."

They were in the empty Jedi Council chambers. Buffy had taken her customary chair, while Ani took his namesakes next to her. They were both dressed in formal Jedi robes and uniforms; Ani's having been borrowed from one of the older Padawans that had already moved to the Praxeum. He swallowed nervously and looked around, not knowing where to begin. Buffy smiled sadly, knowing what was on his mind.

"Before you begin, I want you to realize one thing - what happened wasn't your fault; what you did wasn't wrong. That thing in the infirmary wasn't Belle; it was just the thing that stole her body."

"But Spike and Angel…"

"Are the two only exceptions there are and there will be no others. Angel was cursed with his soul, Spike… well, Spike is a case that probably will never be repeated."

"I just feel like I could have done something more…" he persisted. Buffy sighed and shook her head.

"There was nothing, NOTHING," she emphasized, "else that you could have done. What you did saved Vi, Dawn - all of them. If you hadn't acted, that life celebration would be for Vi at the very least and not Belle. Now, could you live with that? The fact that you could have saved her, but hesitated?"

"No," Anakin admitted. "I just… I've seen so much death and I'm sick of it."

Buffy laid her real hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I know the feeling…" she started, but trailed off as the door to the chamber opened. To both of their astonishment a young woman carrying two lightsabers backed in, then used the Force to quietly close the door. Anakin and Buffy looked at the girl's back, then looked to each other, then back at the girl. A sudden awareness flooded Anakin, and with a start he realized who the girl was.

"This seems familiar," Buffy said dryly and the girl tensed.

"Jaina?" Anakin said in disbelief.

* * *

Jaina made her way down the hall, desperately trying to figure out what had happened. One minute she had been falling towards the ocean, the next she landed in a large workspace of some sort. Then some guy came in with a lightsaber…

She shook her head and stopped, straining her senses. Down the hall in front of her she heard a lot of noise and decided against that route. Instead she took a short side corridor that ended in a pair of large wooden doors. She used the Force to open the doors and turned around, facing down the hall, looking for any signs of pursuit. Once she was inside she closed the doors, leaving her alone in the darkened room.

"This seems familiar," a voice said dryly. Jaina tensed. _Okay, not so alone…_

"Jaina?" a familiar voice asked. Jaina's breath hitched.

"_I have a message from your brother for your parents," s_he had said. Slowly, Jaina turned around to face the two people in the room. One was a blond haired woman she had never seen; the other was all too familiar.

"Anakin?" Her brother was at her side in an instant, catching her as her knees gave out. But then Anakin's weak leg gave out and the two collapsed to their knees. But Jaina didn't notice, she was to busy staring into the face of her dead brother. Who, apparently, wasn't dead.

"Jaina, what are you doing here?" he asked gently. "How did you get here?"

"Ain't that the question," Buffy muttered.

"Fighting…then a flash, then here…" she replied.

"Great, Joyce brought you over. Not exactly the way I wanted the message delivered…" Buffy continued.

"How is…" Jaina stared at her brother. "You died. You're dead! I felt it! I SAW it!"

"And where is my daughter now?" Buffy looked at Jaina's hand, and the now-deactivated lightsaber it contained. "And is that Anakin's lightsaber?"

"It was only for a few minutes," Anakin replied defensively.

Buffy let out an exasperated sigh. "And here I am, oblivious to the eye… now I know how Giles felt for all those years…"

"Only for a few minutes? Ani, where are we?" Jaina demanded. She as interrupted as the door opened, letting in Joyce who was followed by a limping Anakin. Buffy took one look at the sheepish look on his face and then groaned. She rounded on Jaina with a mock glare.

"You tossed him though a wall, didn't you?" she demanded. Jaina blanched, but nodded. "What is it with you Solos? Can't you wait for me to be there before you toss around the Jolly Brown Giant like a rag doll?"

"Hey…" the elder Anakin started, but was cut off by a glare from Buffy.

"Don't hey me, that's the second time one of Han's kids got the drop on you and the first time it was by a kid who just woke up from a coma! And you call yourself a Jedi Master!"

Anakin held up his hand to his chest mid way. "I'm sorry, but you must be this tall to insult me."

"Oh, grow up!"

"Something you wish you could do…"

"Children, do I have to separate you?" Joyce asked, a smile in her voice. The two Masters had the decency to look sheepish. Joyce shook her head and looked to the two siblings. "And they're in charge here!" her face turned serious as she looked back at Jaina. "This is what I was trying to tell your parents. Now, I wasn't planning on bringing anybody back with me and I need to get back to my office tomorrow. I can give you twenty four hours here, but then I need to get you home."

"You mean get US home," she emphasized. She looked to her brother who, to her surprise, was shaking his head. "Little Brother?"

"Why don't we leave you two to talk?" Buffy said, calling her brother's lightsaber to her hand. As the three moved out of the room, Buffy wrapped Anakin about the skull with the silver hilt, berating him in jest for losing his weapon yet again.

* * *

They sat on the floor of the darkened Council chamber, neither saying a word. For Anakin, he was trying to process that his sister was here. For Jaina, she was trying to process the fact that her brother was alive.

"How…how is this possible?" she asked. Anakin just shrugged.

"I have no idea. One minute I'm fighting the Vong on Myrkr, the next I'm waking up in the infirmary with a healer in my face." He smiled at the memory. "I've been healing ever since."

"But where are we?" she persisted. "What is this place?"

Anakin let out a slow breath. "That's the question, isn't it?" he said finally. "Where we are is a place called the Watcher's Council. As to where it's located…well sis, we're in another dimension."

Jaina shook her head. "No. Impossible. That's…crazy…"

"Where were you a few minutes ago?" Anakin asked.

"Mon Calamari," she replied.

"And now you're here," he finished. "I still don't know the specifics, but apparently Buffy - that's the blonde that was in here with me - was sent to another dimension years ago. When her family found her, they were able to keep traveling between dimensions. As a result, there were a lot more survivors of the Jedi purge from the second dimension, as she called it."

Jaina was still shaking her head. "This is nuts. It's a Vong trick…"

"Jaina, are you sensing anything from me that makes you think this is a trick? Anything at all?"

"No," she practically whispered. Anakin struggled to his feet, bracing himself on his cane. He then extended a hand to his sister.

"Come on, walk with me," he gave her that cocky half-smile that their father was famous for. "Please. I need the exercise."

She accepted his hand and drew herself up, careful not to pull on Anakin too much. She took a moment to look around. "What is this room?"

Anakin gestured and the doors opened. The two then headed for the hall. "From what Buffy tells me, this is where the Jedi Council convened while they were on Earth. Now they're on Coruscant, but they keep their facilities here, just in case."

"I thought this is the Watcher's Council?" she asked.

"It's both," he replied. "Buffy was what is called a Slayer - they're kind of like the Jedi of this dimension. At one time there was only one per generation, but now there are thousands. Most of them live and work out of this complex." They made their way down the hall and entered onto a long balcony that wrapped around an enormous ballroom. Jaina finally saw the cause of the noise she had heard before - a party, with hundreds of girls on the dance floor below them. Some were dancing, some were talking in small groups. As the music played she saw one young girl with long brown hair perform a rather complicated, but beautiful dance routine. But throughout the festivities she sensed and air of sadness.

"What's this for?" she finally asked her brother. Anakin sighed.

"It's what they all a life celebration," he replied. "In honor of Belle, a Slayer."

"Her birthday?"

"Her funeral."

Jaina looked sharply at her brother, who shrugged his shoulders. "From what I've heard, the Slayer all agreed that when one of them dies, the rest throw a party to celebrate their lives rather than mourn their passing. Probably because before, Slayers didn't live past 18."

She looked at him closely. "You knew her, didn't you?" she asked. Anakin smiled sadly.

"She was a friend. She wanted to be more, but my heart…" he trailed off, but Jaina knew what he was saying.

_His heart belonged to Tahiri._

"They already had a short service," he continued, gesturing down at his borrowed clothes. "That's why I'm all dressed up." She took in the clothes with a critical eye and he couldn't help but grin. "This is actually what the Jedi used to wear, pre-Palpatine."

"Thank god we were born after," she jested in a strained voice.

"You think the clothes are bad, you should have seen the hair," Buffy added, coming up behind them. "Dawn hated my guts for having her take the traditional Padawan haircut. Especially as she was the last we made do it."

"Why make her do it then?" Anakin asked. Buffy grinned.

"If I had to suffer through it, so did she," she said sagely. "Remember kids - revenge is of the Dark Side, unless it's against a family member." She looked to Anakin. "Would you mind babysitting tonight? It shouldn't be too hard and it will give you and your sister time to catch up."

Anakin nodded, his eye's twinkling. "Sure. Are they in the lounge?"

"Yes," She confirmed, her eyes dancing as well. "I'll be sending Vi along later to help. Now, off with you!" she said lightly, making a shooing motion with her hands. Anakin and Jaina made their way back into the hall and Jaina followed her brother's lead. She watched him limp down the hall, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Don't they have bacta here?" she asked.

"They do and I get treatments," he replied. "But I was in a really bad way, and bacta only does so much."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not coming back with me?" she asked quietly, sadness in her voice. Anakin sighed.

"I want to. Force knows I want to," he said tiredly. "But Dawn - that the head healer, told me that portal travel takes a tremendous toll on a body. If you're healthy you don't even notice; but if you're as banged up as I am - well, it could kill me. For real, this time. So I'm getting healthy and, at the same time, they're giving me more training, training I never got and would never have gotten back home. If it means I stay here a bit longer to go home healthy and with an edge, I guess it's a fair trade-off."

"Doesn't feel that way to me," Jaina said dejectedly. "I mean yeah, sure, it's great having Jacen back and all, but I want both of my brothers-"

Anakin stopped, stunned. "Wait, Jacen is alive? I was told he was dead!" he exclaimed.

Jaina looked at him in puzzlement and then realization struck her. _Joyce sliced our computers at Borleias, but hasn't gotten any info since!_ She considered her words.

"We thought he was dead," she began slowly, "I mean, everybody felt him disappear entirely from the Force. I was…" she trialed off momentarily. "Well, I was already in a bad place at that time, so I didn't feel it at first. But it turns out he was just being held prisoner by the Vong; he escaped a few days ago, he's back with us, now."

Anakin sighed and leaned against a nearby wall, his eyes closed and head tilted back into it. "Thank the Force," he said. "I was afraid… we never got the chance to set things right between us…"

"Well, you'll get the chance when you come home," Jaina assured him. She smiled. "He's going to be so happy you're alive. Everyone will. Especially mom." _And Tahiri,_ she added to herself. Anakin smiled and nodded, then pushed himself off the wall and continued down the hall with his sister at his side.

"So, babysitting?" she asked as they neared the lounge. Anakin nodded, a small smile playing about his lips.

"Yeah, sometimes a couple of kids stop by to stay for a few hours. They just need someone to look after them because they tend to get into all sorts of trouble. Oh, and whatever you do, don't touch the girl."

Jaina looked at him sideways. "Don't touch the girl? What's that supposed to-" she stopped abruptly as she entered the lounge-

And came face to face with her ten-year-old self.

And then Jaina Solo, Rogue Squadron pilot, Leader of the Twin Suns Squadron, portrayer of Yun Harla, the Trickster goddess, and soon to be named Sword of the Jedi, fainted dead away.

* * *

When Jaina woke, she was lying on a very comfortable couch with a pair of wide, brown eyes peering down at her. At first she thought they were her own eyes, and panicked slightly as she felt small hands touching her forehead, but as the other face pulled back she saw that it wasn't her younger self at all. Instead it was the girl she had seen dancing in the hall a short time ago. The young girl shook her head.

"Between you and your brother, I doubt I'll make it to ten," she said dryly. "Although, to be honest, you weren't nearly as bad as Junior over there…"

"Don't call me Junior," Anakin groused. The younger twins both giggled softly; Jaina looked at them with wonder. And next to them was…

"You got to be kriffing kidding me," she said. Her brother grinned.

"Yeah, got me, too," he said. "Can you believe we were that small once?"

"We're not small for our ages," Jacen said.

"No, but you're small for our ages," Anakin shot back, pointing to himself and Jaina.

"Man, I look old," the younger Jaina complained.

Her older counterpart frowned. "I'm you in about ten years, sister." The younger girl suddenly realized she was right, and laughed gingerly.

Anakin laughed. "Man, I should have warned you, but the look on your face was priceless…"

Jaina glared. "Do I need to remind you that nobody back home knows you're alive?"

Anakin shook his head. "Well, you know everybody here, except Vi." He pointed to the brown-haired girl. "Vi is the healer that saved my life."

Jaina looked at the young girl in surprise. "Really?"

Vi shrugged. "It's what I do."

"While you were out, the guys decided they wanted to watch a movie." He grinned and Jaina was instantly wary. What else did he have up his sleeve? 'Don't worry, I think you'll like it," he said as they all got settled in. The twins and the younger Anakin went to sit on the floor in front of the couch, while Vi and her brother flanked her. "It's called 'Raiders'…"

* * *

The movie went well; Jaina's reaction was near the same as Anakin's had been, to the other kids delight. Despite herself she found herself drawn into the movie, but afterwards she and her younger brother talked - just talked, for the rest of the night while the others occupied themselves. Anakin told her everything about what had happened to him on Earth, while Jaina described the events that had happened after he had disappeared from Myrkr - from Jacen's capture, to her decent into the Dark Side, her training with Kyp and holding Borleias. Soon, too soon, the sun had risen and Joyce had come looking for them.

"It's time to go," she said simply, but her eyes conveyed how sorry she was to split them up again. As they made their way back to the embarkation room, she looked to the Mandalorian.

"You all are sure he can't come now?" she asked. Joyce shook her head.

"Listen," she began gently. "If he went back now - if the trip didn't kill him, the Vong would. By waiting, he'll come back at one hundred percent and have a whole new bag of tricks to take to them."

"I know," she sighed. "Still… no one's going to believe me."

"Let me worry about that," Joyce said, placing the PPG on her belt. "Ready?"

Jaina gave her brother one last, long hug and then stepped back towards Joyce. She gave him a watery smile. "I'll see you soon." She said.

Anakin smiled. "Sooner than you think."

Joyce placed a hand on Jaina's shoulder and activated the portal device. With a flash of light, they were gone.

* * *

Later that night, Buffy showed Anakin to his new room outside of the infirmary.

"You've been here so long already, we figured that it was time you got your own room," Buffy said. Anakin looked around. It was small - a bed, dresser and nightstand, across from that was a small writing desk with a computer terminal sitting on top of it. He noticed on his bed that there were several boxes, all wrapped in colorful paper and sporting a bow.

"What's that?" he asked.

Buffy smiled. "It's Christmas. As Vi has undoubtedly told you, it's traditional to exchange gifts." She gestured to the presents. "Those are yours."

"But I didn't get anybody anything!" Anakin argued. Buffy shook her head.

"You've given us the information that will save possibly billions of lives," she countered. "That in itself is a gift."

There were three boxes of varying sizes. He picked up the small one, which was the size of a shoe box, first and unwrapped it. Once divested of the paper he lifted the lid to expose the contents - a lightsaber, but not like any he'd seen before. This one had a curved handle and was accentuated by gold trim around it black grip pads. He picked it up and ignited it and its violet blade sprang into existence with a familiar _snap hiss_.

"That's from Mara," Buffy said as he moved the blade around slightly, as to not cut into any furniture. "The hilt belonged to her mother and my best friend, Willow." Anakin looked up at her in shock. "The crystal," she continued, "belonged to _my_ former Master, Mace Windu. When Willow was the Dark Lady Traya, she killed him. After she regained herself, she placed the crystal in her lightsaber as a way of atoning for her transgression."

Anakin deactivated the blade. "I can't take this!" he exclaimed. Buffy crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"You can and will. You need a new weapon and Mara already had a lightsaber she's comfortable with. She wanted you to have this, as do I." She smiled. "As would Willow."

He nodded grimly and set the weapon down on his nightstand. He picked up the second box, which was long and flat. Again he unwrapped it and opened the lid to reveal an old, battered leather jacket embroidered with patches of the Corellian Security Forces. He looked up at Buffy warily.

"That belonged to my Jacen," she explained. "Han's dad. I was wearing it the day I escaped from Corellia, after he was killed." She smiled sadly. "I used to wear it now and again, but it's been sitting in my closet for years. I thought it would be appropriate to give it to the next generation of Solo's."

"Why didn't you give it to Jacen?" he asked curiously, thinking of the twin he had babysat last night. Buffy laughed.

"Jacen never struck me as a leather jacket type. Besides, I think it will fit you perfectly." Anakin slid the jacket on; as Buffy expected it fit perfectly. Anakin gave her a sheepish smile.

"Thank you," he said. Then he reached for the last box. As he unwrapped it, Buffy said, "That's from Vi. She spent days looking around London for it." Anakin noticed she couldn't quite keep the laughter out of her voice and as he opened the box he saw why. He laughed himself as he lifted the brown, wide-brimmed fedora out of the box and put it on.

"A perfect fit," he declared, and the two broke out into laughter.

**_TBC_**...


	9. Chapter 9: Denial

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my Beta and Editor, Fallenstar2. As always, please review!

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 9**

**Denial**

* * *

"What do you mean she's disappeared?"

The atmosphere was tense in the Solo apartment. Han, along with Leia and their recently returned son Jacen, were sitting with Luke and Mara discussing Jaina's mysterious disappearance. Well, almost all of them were sitting - Han was pacing furiously.

Luke sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's possible that she went into the water, by the damage to the railing, but neither the Mon Calamari or Quarren divers have found any sign of her. There was no evidence that she even hit the water. All we know is that there was a fight."

"With who? Peace Brigade?" Leia asked. "Vong infiltrators?"

"Fett?" Han threw in. At their looks he scoffed. "What? That would be just like him!"

"Actually…" Mara started, "there are unconfirmed reports that Jaina was following someone. Someone in Mandalorian armor," she finished reluctantly.

"So I'm right?" Han asked incredulously.

"We don't know, Han," Luke said patiently. "We have to remain focused on the facts. All we do know is that there was an altercation, and then… nothing."

"It's the nothing that concerns me, Master Luke," Jacen said finally. "I would have felt if something had happened to her through our bond. All I felt, though, were surprise and shock. Then… well, it's hard to explain. I still feel her, but it's very faint, like she is very far away."

"Could she have been kidnapped, then?" Leia supposed. "Drugged, then taken away on a ship?"

"We're checking the manifests of all the ships that have left in the past day, but so far we've found nothing."

Jacen sighed. "Well, it's not as if she just disappeared into thin air…" Jacen was cut off by a brilliant flash of light - and suddenly Jaina was standing there, next to a woman in Mandalorian armor. Stunned silence reigned in the room for a moment before Jacen finally recovered his wits. "Well, I have been known to be wrong, from time to time…"

Without any further word the three other Jedi and Han all leapt into action. Luke, Leia and Mara drew and ignited their lightsabers while Han drew his blaster and pointed it at the Mandalorian's head.

"Whoa!" Jaina shouted, raising her hands in a calming gesture. "Everybody, just calm down…"

"Move the hell away from my daughter!" Han growled. The t-visored helmet turned to face Han and even under the reflective surface he could hear the smirk in the voice.

"Oh, put that down before you shoot your eye out."

"Dad, she's wearing beskar. The only thing that will do is ricochet," Jaina said. When Han didn't lower his blaster, Joyce gave a sigh of annoyance.

"Some things never change…" she growled, then gestured with two fingers at the blaster, which clattered to the ground suddenly. "Now be a good boy and let the adults talk."

Jaina rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Joyce, will you stop provoking him!"

"Technically I've been provoking him all my life," the Mandalorian replied with a grin in her voice.

Luke, while still wary, had lowered his lightsaber slightly. "You're Force sensitive," he noted. "But I don't recognize your signature at all."

"I assure you I'm no Sith, if that's what you're worried about," she replied. "I'm a fully trained Jedi Knight. I was on a mission to find tweedle-dumb and his blushing bride when I ran into the kid." She jerked her thumb at Jaina, who sighed in exasperation.

"Who trained you?" Luke asked, curiosity ebbing.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," she replied, drawing shocked gasps from most of the Jedi. "You've heard of him here, I see…"

"Jaina, are you alright?" Leia asked, looking between the two. "You haven't been hurt…"

"No, I'm fine. It's a long story…one I fully intend on telling everyone if you will all put the weapons away," she emphasized.

"Besides, it's not as if I couldn't take you even with the weapons…" she stopped as Jaina hit her solidly in the arm. "Oh, the pain," she deadpanned. "You hit like a girl."

"You're not helping your case," Jaina hissed.

"I don't need to." She looked up at Leia. "Look, I've been chasing after you for three months now. I've got a message to give you from your son and then I'm gone."

"I don't recall ever seeing you before," Jacen stated warily.

"The OTHER son," Joyce replied tiredly. "Anakin is alive and he'll be home as soon as he able to. Jaina will fill you in on the details."

Mara's lightsaber flared to life once more. "Boy, did you say the wrong thing…" she growled, but came up short as Jaina jumped in front of her.

"Mara, stop!" she urged. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! I've spent the past day with him!"

"Where?" Han demanded.

"Through the looking glass," Joyce responded, pulling off her helmet. Everyone in the room gasped - her resemblance to Han was remarkable. "This is going to sound crazy, big brother, but it's all true. Anakin managed to shift dimensions when he almost died; but until he heals up, he can't survive the trip back."

"You expect us to believe this crap?" Han shot back, voice dripping with venom. Joyce shrugged.

"Believe what you want, won't change the truth," she said. Then she slowly pulled her blaster out of its holster, then tossed it to Mara. "You got competent scientists here? Then have them check that against Han's. Pay close attention to the power pack. If you're half as smart as my Mara, you'll figure it out." Joyce slipped her helmet back on and looked at Jaina. "And you - remember to watch that temper of yours." With a final wave, Joyce gave a slight Force nudge on her PPG's activator stud and, with a flash, she was gone. With the Mandalorian departed, all eyes turned to Jaina, who smiled sheepishly.

"You'll never believe what happened to me yesterday…" she began.

* * *

Several hours and dozens of tests later, Jaina lay impatiently on an exam table with Jacen by her side as Cilghal spoke to Luke, Leia, Han and Mara.

"I've found no evidence of trauma, other than the bruise on her side from the apparent impact with the railing," she was explaining. "No evidence of mental manipulation or tampering with the brain. No toxins in her blood stream. All scans indicate that what she is telling us is the truth, or at least the truth from her point of view."

"It can't be the truth," Leia argued. "I felt my son die… it wasn't like with Jacen, where I just knew he was still alive. Anakin…"

"Became one with the Force," Luke continued. "But we still know so little about the process, or what it entails afterwards. Can we truly say that it's not possible that Anakin died, only to come back somewhere else?"

"In another dimension?" Mara countered. "A bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

"Sometimes the answers that make the most sense make no sense on their own," Luke postulated. "Do alternate dimensions seem impossible? Yes. But then how can you explain the woman - Joyce, who appeared and disappeared in front of our eyes? Or how she looked so much like Han? And how can we explain away what Jaina claimed to see, if all of our tests so far claims that what she saw actually happened?" he took a breath. "I loved Anakin too, Leia. And the last thing I want to do is to get my hopes up. But if there is a possibility…"

"Excuse me, Masters?" Danni Quee interrupted, poking her head in through the doorway that led to her temporary lab. "I think you need to see this."

The three Jedi and Han made their way into the cramped lab. Equipment was strewn about in an apparently haphazard way that only scientists can figure out, on a nearby bench lay both Han's DL-44 blaster, and the counterpart that Joyce left behind. On the far end of the room, two sets of Vondun crab armor lay propped up against the wall.

"What have you got, Danni?" Mara asked.

"A puzzle," she replied, picking up Han's blaster. "This is a heavily modified DL-44 blaster, lent to me by Captain Solo." She paused, took aim at one of the armor sets and let loose a single blast. The recoil jerked her arm up, but the blast hit the top part of the armored chest plate leaving a blackened scorch mark. Nodding, she put the weapon down, then picked up its twin. "This is also a heavily modified DL-44 blaster. It should be noted that the modifications are almost identical to Captain Solo's." Taking aim at the other set of armor, she pulled the trigger. Once more her arm jerked up, but her aim was true. But this time, the bolt passed through the crab and into the wall behind it, scorching the duracrete wall. She looked back at the four, who were staring at the hole.

"Stang," Mara and Han said together. Han pointed to the blaster in Danni's hand. "I'll take that one back, thank you."

"Feel free, but you'll only get about a dozen more shots like that." She laid down the weapon and moved over to her computer. Two diagrams sprang to life. "These are the energy signatures from each power pack…"

"The other one - Joyce's - it's different," Mara said, looking at the signatures. "But only by one part."

"And it's a part I can't replicate." Danni continued. "It's some kind of marker… and it's not just present in the energy pack. I've run tests on the Vong armor and even my blood. All of it - even the Vong tech - has this marker," she pointed to the readout from Han's blaster, "in it. The only thing to have that different marker is Joyce's power pack - along with the metal in the blaster, of course. And because of the difference, however subtle, her weapons are much more devastating on Vong tech than ours are. Probably give our own armor a run for its money, to be honest."

"It was her," Han said, suddenly realizing. "It was her, in that ancient starfighter. The one that covered us."

"If we could get those weapons on our starfighters," Mara realized, "the Vong wouldn't stand a chance."

"But what does this have to do with Anakin?" Leia pressed. "Does this prove that he's alive?"

"Well, I never thought I'd be saying this, but while it doesn't definitively prove that alternate dimensions exist, it goes along way towards that. And if there are alternate dimensions, there may be a good chance that Anakin is alive." Danni shook her head. "All I ever wanted to do was discover life outside of this galaxy. Now I've done it - twice."

"Well, if my son is alive, then how are we getting him back?" Han demanded. Luke shrugged his shoulders.

"You heard what she said. He is apparently still too weak to travel…"

"The hell with that!" Han shouted. "If my son is alive, then I will do whatever I have to do to get him back home and out of whatever hell he's stuck in."

* * *

Anakin floated lazily in the heated pool even as he vainly tried to keep his distance from the water fight raging between half a dozen Slayers a few feet away. He sighed and began kicking towards the shallow end again, clenching his jaw at the pain shooting through his leg.

"I thought I told you to relax today?" a voice called out. Anakin tipped his head back as far as he could without submerging his eyes and spied Mara kneeling at the edge of the pool. "You can injure yourself further working this hard, you know."

"Not that I mind the vacation," Anakin started, kicking harder to get back to the edge of the pool, "but my family and friends are out there fighting and dying while I'm stuck in a pool party. And there are no guarantees that my parents will believe Jaina, despite whatever proof Joyce gives!"

"I know you're frustrated, Anakin," Mara said calmly. "But you won't help anyone if you die going back. You need to be healthy."

Anakin sighed in frustration. "I know, I know." He eyed her and noted the travel pack slung over her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"Due to the time discrepancies, Dawn wants be to start training Vi now. We'll be leaving later today for the second world."

"Not to sound like a whiner, but what about me?" he asked.

Mara smiled. "Buffy will be taking over your training and Anakin Senior will take over your healing session with Dawn." She paused. "Vi was going to see you before we left, but if you want you can go say goodbye to her now."Anakin nodded, then made to grab Mara who just leaned back out of his reach. "You didn't think you could actually surprise a Jedi like me, did you?" she asked archly. Anakin just smiled.

"No, but I could distract you…" he trailed off laughing as Kennedy, who had snuck up behind Mara, pushed her into the pool.

* * *

Anakin leaned heavily on the doorframe to Vi's room, watching as she packed a small bag.

"Come on in and sit down, I don't want you passing out from standing there." Vi said after a moment. Anakin grunted, but limped into the room and sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Vi paused briefly and put a hand on his aching thigh muscle and he felt a tingle as she poured healing energies into his tired muscles.

"Thanks," he said as she finished. Vi gave him a tired smile.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," she said with a sad smile. "I won't be here to heal you anymore."

"I heard," Anakin said. "You've begun your training. Congratulations, you couldn't get a better Master than Mara."

"I don't want to leave," Vi complained. Anakin chuckled.

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do. That's our burden as Jedi."

Vi looked at Anakin. "That was way too profound." They looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"Too much time with Uncle Luke, I think," Anakin said, wiping tears from his eyes. He looked to his friend. "So, how long will you be gone?" he asked.

"For you? Probably a year," she replied. "For me? Longer."

"Because of the time difference?"

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a moment before Vi spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You know that Anakin - my Anakin, and Jacen and Jaina, are my cousins, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well…my mom isn't ever having any more kids, and I've always wanted a brother…" she took a breath and looked into his eyes. "Would you...would you be my brother?"

Anakin was taken aback for a moment by the earnestness of the question, but soon he smiled and put an arm around her shoulder.

"I always wanted a younger sister."

* * *

Xander walked into the Research and Development area at fleet headquarters and stared at the disarray around him. In a paperless society such as the New Republic, one didn't expect to see papers with designs strewn all about, along with littered food wrappers and empty coffee cups. But Andrew made a habit of delivering the impossible, so…

"Don't you clean in here?" he asked, stepping over a large mound of paper.

"Genius doesn't have time to clean," Andrew replied, tapping frantically on his keyboard. "Give me a minute and I'll render the final designs for you."

Xander nodded absently and glanced around the room. He noticed the earlier designs for the ship he was currently working on, including one based off of the Odyssey from Stargate. Xander shook his, head, but then something caught his eye. Moving closer, he eyed the rendering - and groaned.

"Andrew, is this the Mark III?" he asked, already knowing the answer as he looked at the familiar red and gold armor.

"Kind of…" Andrew said. "A powered exo-suit with built in weapons and a flight system would be ideal in facing off against an enemy that is physically stronger than humans."

Xander just gave the nerd a look, then sighed. "Keep working on it. But lose the red and gold!"

Andrew nodded absently, then laughed in triumph. "Finished!" he exclaimed, loading the plans into the holo projector. It flared to life, revealing the three-dimensional plans of the Avenger, the first of the new Nebula class ships. "I've shored up the armor a bit, and added a few more traditional flak cannons. I'm hoping those will distract the dovin basals enough to let our turbolaser fire through. I've also rethought the kind of fighters it should carry…"

"So help me if I see a Viper, violence will ensue," Xander growled.

"How about a Raptor?" Andrew chuckled at the look on his face, then brought his computer screen to life to reveal a rather familiar looking plane. "The F-22 Raptor, newest fighter in the American Air Force. I took the design and modified it slightly to incorporate Imperial and Republic technologies. It will be smaller, faster, pack just as much fire power, and be twice as maneuverable thanks to the addition of dozens of thrusters all over the ship in key areas. Finally, pilots will be able to fly in space the way they should be, not as if they were still in atmo!"

Xander stared at the design, impressed despite himself. "Damn, Andrew! Good work." He smiled. "You certainly earned your raise. "

"You could always give me another…"

"Don't push it."

* * *

Danni Quee sat in a small outdoor café in central Coruscant, sipping a caf as she went over the details of her first assignment with the Extragalactic Society - a posting at a small outpost on the planet Belkadan. So intent was she on the small pad, she didn't notice she wasn't alone until she heard a throat clear. Startled, she looked up to see a woman in a smart, dark toned suit and long, dirty blonde hair that fell freely down to her shoulders. Danni blinked but soon regained her composure.

"Can I help you?" she asked, a bit defensively.

"I hope so," the woman replied. She extracted a small tablet from her coat and slid it over to the budding scientist. "I was wondering if you could take a look at this and tell me what you think."

Danni chuckled nervously. "Look, I think you got the wrong person…"

"You are Danni Quee? Science prodigy, recent graduate of the Commenor University of the Sciences at 15 - one of the youngest ever, I believe?"

"THE youngest," Danni replied tersely. The woman bowed her head in acknowledgement.

"My apologies," she said. "Also, I believe you were just posted to a small outpost on Belkadan by ExGal?"

"You seem to know an awful lot about me," Danni said sharply. "And I don't even know your name."

"Look at the pad and I might tell you my name."

Danni sighed, but picked up the pad and started reading. What she saw, though, shocked her to her very core. Specs on biological weapons and technologies that she had never seen or heard of before - and technologies she doubted very much that the Republic or the Empire were capable of producing. Living creatures called yamosks that acted as war coordinators for hundreds of living vessels… creatures that not only propelled said ships, but created artificial singularities that acted as intelligent shields… overwhelmed, Danni looked up. "Where did you get this?" she asked breathlessly. The woman smiled.

"That, I'm afraid, is classified," she replied. "But if you agree to help us, I can make that information available to you. And that information will probably blow your mind even more."

"Who are you?" Danni repeated.

"Iella Wessiri, New Republic Intelligence."

"And who did this work?"

Iella smiled. "You did." At her startled look, Iella chuckled. "You're flight doesn't leave until tomorrow. Why don't you come with me to my office where we can discuss things more… openly?"

Danni considered for a moment, then nodded in approval. The two women rose (Danni left a few credits for the caf), and flagged down the nearest air taxi. No ten minutes later Danni found herself being led through a maze of corridors that made up the New Republic Intelligence headquarters . Iella led her into a spacious office, then closed and sealed the door behind them before moving to sit behind the large desk at the end of the room.

"Now, can you tell me what this is about?" Danni asked.

"What do you know about the Jedi exodus?" Iella asked, momentarily confusing the scientist.

"Not much. Just some stories that they escaped to another dimension or what have you. Utterly ridiculous."

"And absolutely true." At Danni's stunned look, Iella continued. "Nowadays, some still spend time in that other dimension. It was there that we encountered a person from yet another dimension, who provided intel on a coming threat. What you read on the pad was obtained as a result of what our source told us. It was downloaded from a New Republic terminal on Borleias. This data had been compiled and investigated by you - or rather, your counterpart in the 3rd world, which is what we call that dimension."

"I'm an astrophysicist, not a biologist… why would I-"

"Ms. Quee, you joined ExGal in hopes of finding life outside of this galaxy. In the 3rd world, you already have - you made first contact with them. And since then, you have been studying them." Iella looked at her hard. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Danni blanched. "It wasn't a first contact, it was an invasion, wasn't it?" Iella nodded. "So what do you want from me?"

"We want you to go to your posting. Search the skies; try to give us an early warning when they come. In the mean time, I'd like for you to study that data. Thanks to our source we have ways of fighting them, but we're hoping you can find even more ways - or at least ways to streamline what you've discovered so far." She leaned forward across the desk. "And we need for you to keep quiet on this. This information is way above Top Secret. We have reason to believe that there are elements within our own government that wish for these invaders to succeed - or will think it more practical for lining their own pockets if they hamstring us."

Danni stared at the pad in her hands, and thought about everything she had been told. "You are placing the lives of billions into my hands…"

"Read that data, Danni,"Iella said with a small smile. "They're good hands."

"All I ever wanted to do was discover life outside of this galaxy."

"And you will. And with your help, we may be able to head off a war that would cost trillions of lives." Iella looked at the young girl before her. "The question is, will you help?"

Danni starred at the pad, then sighed. "Where do I sign up?"

Two hours later, Danni was heading back to her apartment to finish packing - and to add all of the equipment she had been provided with to her luggage. Iella, meanwhile leaned back in her chair and rubbed her neck tiredly.

"You really like my office," a voice said. She looked up to see Joyce leaning in the doorway, her helmet tucked under her arm.

"Well, it's not like you use it much," Iella shot back with a smile. Joyce chuckled.

"You set Danni straight?"

"Yes."

"And she'll help?"

Iella nodded. "She'll help." Joyce nodded absently. Iella sighed. "Will it make a difference?"

Joyce looked at her friend and gave her a wan smile. "We can only hope."

**TBC…**


	10. Chapter 10: Letters from London

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my Beta and Editor, Fallenstar2.

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 10**

**Letters from London**

* * *

January faded into February; February into March. Anakin continued to improve, but at a much slower pace than he liked. Joyce had been unable to make any more trips to his home and, likewise, everyone else had been busy preparing for war. Unfortunately, that cut off his only avenue of intel on what was going on with his family.

He also found himself missing Vi - not for her healing hands, though he missed those as well, but for the joy she had brought into his life during the early days of his recovery. She was a true light in the Force and he missed her frank honesty and unlimited compassion. He received letters from her every so often and it awed him slightly to realize that nearly a year had already passed for her.

It was the middle of March when Buffy ended their session early. "I'm an idiot," she had told him, handing him a small holocam. "All the ways I've tried to pass a message on to your parents, I didn't even think about having you do it."

Anakin stared at the holocam uncertainly. "I don't know what to say."

Buffy smiled. "You'll figure it out."

So Anakin sat at his desk in his small room staring at the holocam, desperately trying to think of what to say. Taking a deep breath, he reached forward and turned the recorder on.

"Hey guys. Boo! Ahhh…" he reached forward and stopped the recording, then reset the device. "Hey mom and dad. You'll never believe what happened to me…" shaking his head, he reset the device again. "Hi mom, I'm having a great time at summer camp…" Disgusted, he turned the device off, then slumped back into his chair. How exactly could he explain everything? He sat there for a few moments gathering his thoughts, before reaching forward and turning the device on again.

"13th of March, noon Earth-standard time. This is Anakin Solo, recording a message for my family. Hi guys, it's me. I don't know exactly who's watching this right now - I know mom and dad will watch it first, then at least pass it on to Jaina and Jacen. Probably Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara, too. If you could, could you also let Tahiri see this?

"I hate not being able to say this to you in person, but the Doc says I got a ways to go before I'm healthy enough to jump dimensions." He laughed lightly. "Man, I've been here a little over five months now and I still have a hard time believing that. I'm sure you don't, despite the evidence to the contrary. Well, it is true, hard as it is to believe. We're still not sure how it happened - a combination of the power they use here combined with the Force is their best guess. The power they use - yeah, that's a long story. They use the Force here - there is an outpost of Jedi, from the Old Republic, that still sometimes uses this dimension as a sort of bolt hole. But for the most part, only some of the Jedi stay here and act as support for the Slayers - who are this dimension's versions of Jedi. As I've gotten stronger, I've begun to train with them. Maybe I'll learn something that will surprise the Vong when I get back.

"And I will be back - as soon as I can. Doc says I got a few more months of healing and I don't want to argue. She's kind of scary when she's angry."

"Mom, dad, I love you. Jaina - you'll do fine, just don't get so angry anymore. Jacen - well, we have a lot to talk about when I get back, so you better be there. Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara - I'll see you soon."

"Tahiri… I love you. And I'm coming back for you, I promise."

With that, Anakin leaned forward and switched of the recorder, then sat back in his chair with a sigh.

* * *

"General Antilles."

"Grand Admiral."

The tall, blue skinned form of Mitth'raw'nuruodo sat in a chair across from Wedge in the General's office at fleet headquarters. Wedge smile amicably at the Chiss. "I wasn't expecting to see you today, Grand Admiral. How are things with the Imperial Council?"

Thrawn sat back and steeped his fingers. "The same as always, General. Petty squabbles over inconsequential things." He sighed. "I do miss command most days."

"But on the flip side, you get to ensure the survival of the Empire and give it a positive legacy," Wedge noted.

"True," Thrawn allowed. "But I'm beginning to see what the late Emperor saw in dissolving the Council in the first place."

Wedge chuckled. "So what can I do for you, Grand Admiral? I'm sure there's more to this visit than trading stories with an old war horse."

"I require a favor, General." Wedge leaned forward and indicated for him to continue. "Over the past few years, the information your source has provided has been invaluable. But for me to be entirely successful in predicting and outthinking my enemies, I truly have to know them - to study them. Now, I can't do that since they are not here yet; but I can do the next best thing." His red eyes locked onto Wedge. "I would like for you to set up a meeting between your source and myself."

Wedge leaned back, surprised. "That may prove to be problematic, Grand Admiral."

"How so?"

"Well, you are aware how the Jedi survived the purges?" he asked.

"By staying in a sanctuary, some say in another dimension. Most in the Imperial government seem to think that is a myth."

"It's quite real, I assure you," Wedge stated. "Dimensional portals are the source of those jump drives our own government has been contesting so hotly right now. And our source came for yet another dimension, where they are fighting this war right now."

Thrawn took a moment to process that. "Even more reason then for me to speak with him."

"I'm not saying you can't," Wedge put in. "It's just that he's still recovering and isn't strong enough to travel. You would have to go to him."

Thrawn considered that for a moment. "That would be acceptable. If you can arrange the meeting, I shall go to him."

Wedge considered the Chiss for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I shall arrange the meeting for you. I'll call you as soon as it's set up." The two men stood and Wedge gave the Grand Admiral a sharp salute, which was returned. Without further word, Thrawn turned and walked out, while Wedge sat back into his chair. After he was sure the Admiral was gone, he spoke. "You'll make the necessary arrangements?"

Joyce emerged from the shadows where she had been hiding. "Give me a few weeks. It will be easier to have him over during the solstice party." She bent down and gave her husband a kiss, then turned to walk out - but was stopped when Wedge wrapped his arms around her and plopped her down on his desk.

"Not so fast," he grinned, leaning in for a kiss.

* * *

The holorecorder flickered to life once more and Anakin stepped in front of the lens. "Hey, guys!" he said happily. "It's me again. Well, Joyce can't make the trip over for a few days and nobody else is available. So I decided to just keep recording messages until she can go." He paused for a minute. "Um… I thought it would be good for you to see where I've been living these past few months, so today I'll just carry the holocam around to show you the Watcher's Council." He picked up the camera and panned it around the room. "This is obviously my room, for the time being. Up until a few months ago I was staying in the infirmary…" he trailed off, thinking about that horrible Christmas night. He shuddered slightly. "Sorry, bad memories. Anyway, this is where I've been living. The room is in the administrator's wing, where all of the Watchers and Jedi Masters have their quarters." Anakin stepped out of the room and started pointing at doors. "Across from me is where Dawn - the resident healer, and Master Jukassa sleep, and next to hers is Masters Kenobi's room. That would be Obi-Wan and Buffy Kenobi."

Anakin proceeded across the sky bridge, making sure to get a good view of the grounds and explain what everything was, then moved into the main building. "This is where I spend most of my time. There's a gym downstairs that I exercise in, a study that contains - get this - the entire Jedi archives. Jacen would have a ball in there - so would you, Uncle Luke. Down here is the main chamber that the Jedi Council used while they were on Earth; mostly it's just empty now…" he paused and heard voices coming from within. "But somebody's here today." He opened the doors and couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter. Inside Buffy, the elder Anakin, Padmé, Aayla, Obi-Wan, Zett and Roan were seated around a large round table to which they had moved the Council chairs around. And all held a hand of cards in their hands and had colored chips before them. Anakin Sr. noticed his younger namesake and waved.

"Hey, Junior. You need something?"

"I'm recording a message to my family. I thought I could show them how the old Council worked," Anakin replied, smirking. The Jedi Master nodded sagely.

"Well, here you have discovered our deepest secret. For all of our major decisions - the best hand wins."

Padmé let out a small laugh and gently slapped her husband on the arm. "Be serious."

"We are enjoying a well-earned day of rest after weeks of training and preparing for an invasion," he grinned. "Besides, were Jedi. Not priests."

"You'll have to forgive Anakin. He's usually not this boisterous, but Padmé's here on a three day pass, so…"

"Buffy!" the couple exclaimed together, both blushing furiously like teenagers.

"Oh-kay. That's more than I needed to know," Anakin said. "Well, let me introduce everybody. The blonde is Master Buffy and next to her is Master Kenobi - I'm sure you recognize him, Uncle Luke." The two nodded. "Then we have Master Skywalker senior and his wife Padmé,"

"Hi kids! Make sure to brush your teeth before bed…"

"Will you stop?" Padmé laughed at her husband before facing the camera. "Leia, you and Han raised a wonderful son. You should be very proud."

"And last are Masters Jukassa, Secura and Shryne."

"Greetings, Master Skywalker," Aayla said with a smile.

"Leia," Zett started, "I've been a Jedi since I was just a small baby. I was raised into this life, literally. And I must say that if Anakin here is any measure of how your Jedi are trained in your dimension, you all have reason to be very proud - of your students and of yourselves."

"I agree," Roan added.

Buffy snorted. "Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" she teased, before turning to the camera. "But I have to agree. He's been a godsend for us. We've already begun preparing for the invasion and thanks to him I expect we'll save a lot of lives. But don't worry - we'll have him back to you as soon as possible."

Anakin said goodbye to the small group who went back to playing cards and headed through the building again. He introduced several of the Slayers before finally making his way to the infirmary.

"And here's where they kept me alive in the very beginning. And here's one of the people responsible. Dawn, say hello to my folks."

"Hello, folks," Dawn replied in a teasing tone, then looked to Anakin. "Good. Since you're here, you can help change out the beds." She held out her hand. "I'll hold on to the recorder while you do that."

Anakin sighed and turned it off, handing the holorecorder to Dawn. "You're such a slave driver."

Dawn smirked. "I have to finish up some paperwork. Just come in when you're done."

Anakin set to work and Dawn went into her office and closed the door. With a sigh, she turned the recorder back on.

"Sorry for the bit of subterfuge, but Anakin probably won't give you the whole story on his health. As his doctor, though, since he is a minor I need to brief you on his condition. And Anakin, if you watch this before you send it, don't delete this! They need to know."

"He was clinically dead for four minutes before we were able to successfully revive him. He had multiple fractured bones, internal injuries, lacerations and unknown toxins in his bloodstream he says came from amphistaffs. He had swelling in his brain, a punctured lung and his right leg was…well, a mess. It's taking quite a while for that to heal because of the damage done."

"We've alternated between bacta treatments and Force healing; my daughter is quite skilled at that and in fact used it to save his life. I understand that it's a lost technique for you, so I'll send over some materials with this message detailing how it's done. It's the least I could do for the lives the information he has given us will save."

"I know you want him back now, but he needs to heal fully before its safe for him to travel across. Plus, he's started training with our Slayers - and they excel on teaching a person how to stay alive. I promise, Leia - we'll take good care of him."

Dawn turned off the recorder and placed it on her desk just as Anakin came in.

"All done," he announced. Dawn smiled and handed him his recorder, then moved to her file cabinet and pulled out a data chip.

"Send this along with your message, Ani. It's all the study I've done on Force healing. Your family would probably appreciate it."

"Thanks, Doc," he smiled. "So, what did you say?"

Dawn shook her head. "That's between myself and your parents," she replied. "Oh, by the way - Vi should be paying us a visit soon, for our yearly gathering."

Anakin nodded. He realized she was changing the subject, but he didn't mind. "I'm glad. I've missed her."

"I know she's missed her brother," Dawn smiled. "Now, off with you. We both have work to do."

* * *

Anakin spent the next several days recording more messages. He introduced Angel, whom he was working with on restoring a couple of old cars in the Council's garage. "They're not exactly X-Wings," he explained, panning over the combustion engine-powered vehicles, "but they can still move on a dirt track." He gave a more comprehensive tour of the grounds, including the lake and the Memorial Wall.

"Well, that's about all," he said into the recorder one last time. "Hope you all enjoyed the tour…" he laughed hollowly, then sighed. "I miss you all. I wish I was there… no, wait. I wish you were here. I think that would be better for all of us. Not so much for everyone else, though." He looked into the lens and smiled. "I love you all. And I'll see you as soon as I can. I promise. May the Force be with you." He smirked. "Or as Andrew would say, 'live long and prosper.' Don't ask." With a final wave, the image faded and Luke Skywalker sat back heavily in his chair. He was sitting in a communication booth on board the _Widowmaker_, in orbit around Yaga Minor. He, Mara, Jacen and several other Jedi had traveled here to enlist the Empire's help in both fighting the Vong and in locating the lost planet Zonama Sekot. They had arrived, though, in the middle of a massive battle around Bastion and had it not been for the timely intervention of Grand Admiral Pellaeon, they might have been destroyed by Imperial Forces. They had assisted the Remnant forces in fleeing to the Yaga system and though Pellaeon had been severely injured, his orders ensuring their safety had continued to be followed and Captain Yage was proving to be most helpful in his latest request - authentication of the messages Leia had forwarded to him, which she had found in her guest quarters on Bakura.

"It appears to be authentic," Yage said, truing off her screens. "Voice prints for that Anakin Solo match the files you provided. What's more, we still have Emperor Palpatine's records and we have a voice print match on Anakin… Skywalker. As well as Padmé Amidala."

"No evidence of old clips being used…" Mara asked.

"It was Anakin," Jacen said with finality. "And it was made recently, not with old clips. Jaina was telling the truth."

"I never doubted her honesty; I doubted what she saw," Luke clarified. "But it seems I was the one mistaken…"

"This… this is impossible, though! Another dimension? The dead coming back to life?"

"That's fairly normal for this family," Mara said dryly. "I said it before and I'll say it again. I won't believe it until he's standing in front of me." With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

Luke sighed. "I want to believe, but I'm afraid to," he said to his nephew. Jacen smiled.

"Anakin was always doing the impossible. This is just one more example."

"Let's not tell anybody else, though," Luke decided. "Just in case."

"Agreed," Jacen replied. "I'll go check in on the Grand Admiral, then head back to the Jade Shadow. Master Luke, Captain Yage." He nodded to each in turn, then left the room. Yage shook her head.

"Just tell me - is this a Jedi thing, or something else entirely?"

Luke smiled. "The thing with Anakin? That's something else. This," he indicated the second chip that contained Dawn Jukassa's notes on Jedi healing techniques, "is a Jedi thing. And give me a few hours to study this and I might be able to speed Admiral Pellaeon's recovery."

Yage smiled slightly. "Any help would be appreciated." She looked around the room. "Do you require anything else?"

"No. Thank you, Captain, for all your help," Luke replied. Yage nodded and left the room, leaving Luke to his thoughts.

* * *

In a dark alley on the streets of Bakura's capital, Tahiri Veila stumbled against the side of a building, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. She was running from a number of things - the Solos, her pain of loss, the damned voice in her head… and the confusion. The confusion of seeing Anakin Solo - the boy, no man, she had loved, whom she saw die - alive and well in a holorecording made not a week ago.

_How?! _She thought to herself._ How can he be alive! I saw him die!_

_You felt him die, _Riina corrected in her mind._ You never saw._

_He can't be alive, he can't…_

_They've been lying to you. _Riina pressed, a smugness creeping into her voice._ They've been hiding him from you. They knew you were weak, too, that you couldn't handle it…_

_Shut up_. Tahiri growled._ You're in my head, not the other way around. If I was so weak, you'd already be out._

_I've already been out, Tahiri. _Riina shot back._ You can't keep me in here forever. But don't worry- when I get out, I'll make them all pay for hurting us…_

_I'll die first._

_You'll die anyway. And then I'll send your boyfriend to join you. Again._

"SHUT UP!" Tahiri shouted out loud, and the voice in her head fell silent once more. Letting out a groan of frustration, she pushed herself off the wall and began running once more, to a destination unknown. The only thought that now kept her going was that familiar voice on the holorecording.

_Tahiri… I love you. And I'm coming back for you, I promise._

**TBC**

Coming next chapter - Vi returns, a little different… the summer solstice party…. Anakin and Thrawn have a chat… and Andrew, Wedge and Xander play high stakes poker.


	11. Chapter 11: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my Beta and Editor, Fallenstar2.

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 11**

**A Midsummer Night's Dream**

* * *

On the dawn of June 15th, Anakin Solo lay in his bed in the Watcher's Council headquarters in Leeds. Slowly he opened his eyes-

And found a pair of brown eyes staring right back at him, less than two inches away.

"Yeee-aaaah!" he screamed, flailing back and managing to fall off his bed. A moment later he pulled himself up, staring at the laughing form of Vi in amazement. Gone was the small little girl of eight years old; now she was as tall and lanky as her mother had been in the pictures he had seen, with long brown hair braided down to the middle of her back. She had started to develop and her form, while thin, was more athletic than her mother had been - due mostly, Anakin knew, to the intense training she had been undergoing with Mara. "Vi?" he asked in disbelief. She grinned wickedly at him.

"Who were you expecting? The tooth fairy?" she giggled again. "Man, you should have seen your face…"

"It was the same reaction I had the last time you did this - only this time, I was well enough to actually move." He sighed, but smiled. "It's good to see you again." He hesitated. "How long…"

"About two and a half years. I'm twelve now." She smiled. "Starting to catch up to the twins again…"

Anakin shook his head. "Man, I knew you said there was a time difference and I kind of saw it with the twins - but you…" he smiled wanly. "It's a bit dramatic, you know?"

"Yeah," she smiled, then moved around the bed and pulled Anakin into a long hug. "I've really missed you, big brother."

"I've missed you, too."

Vi pulled away. "Now, get dressed! Big day today!" she turned and ran out of the room, but paused at the door. "I'll save you a seat at breakfast!" Anakin grinned at the girl as she ran out of the room, then turned towards his dresser to pull out fresh clothes.

* * *

The summer solstice festival was an annual event at the Watcher's Council, one of the few times a year that all of the Slayers converged into one spot to celebrate life, love and all that other good stuff. An all-day event, it was highlighted by the annual boys versus girls baseball game and the closing ball. Once, when a group of demons discovered all the Slayers gone, they had decided to try and end the world. When the Slayers early detection grid showed what was happening, the entire council (and their Jedi backup) had teleported to the Cleveland hellmouth, utterly destroyed the demons and closed the hellmouth, then teleported back to England, all during the seventh inning stretch.

It had been quiet on this day ever since.

Today was an extra special event, though. For along with the normal guests, the Slayers had been informed that the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Fleet would be attending. They were also asked not to hit or hit on him.

Anakin yawned as he entered the dining hall and then grinned as he spied Vi energetically waving him over. She was sitting between her parents and across from Luke and Mara. Anakin grabbed a tray of food and limped over, plopping down next to the red haired Jedi Master.

"Morning, sleepy," she said in an amused voice. "Have a good nights rest?"

"It was fine until the tiny terror over there decided to care me to death," Anakin groused good-naturedly.

"Hey, I'm almost as tall as you!" Vi complained. Anakin smiled.

"You'll always be a midget to me." He playfully pointed his fork at her. "And if you wake me up like that again, I'll toss you like one."

"Nice," she laughed.

"How has your training been, Anakin?" Mara asked. "I hope Buffy has been hard on you, since I've been gone…"

"She has," Anakin assured her. "As soon as my body is one hundred percent I can really get into the physical training again, but for now it's mostly Force training, rehab exercises and some lightsaber combat."

"Which is nuts on a bad wheel…" Dawn muttered under her breath. Mara smirked.

"I'd think you of all people know the benefits of learning to fight while injured, Dawn," she said sweetly. Dawn scowled.

"I seem to remember doing pretty well, while someone ended up taking a nap," she shot back. Mara nodded.

"Yes. For two weeks, or so I was told."

"Ladies, can't you give it a rest? It was, what - ten years ago? Longer?" Zett pleaded lightly, knowing the futility of his words.

"Some people can't let go of history," Dawn said.

"And some people can't let go of a fantasy," Mara shot back.

"You two either need to fight or make out," Vi declared suddenly, causing Zett to spit out his orange juice all over Luke. Anakin let out a choked laugh and both women stared that the young girl, who sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, a pleased expression on her face. "There. Finally got you two to shut up about ancient history."

Dawn looked at her daughter darkly, "Bad word choice."

"Who are you calling 'ancient'?" Mara said at the same time. Vi blushed.

"Aw, hell…"

* * *

There was a flash of light and Buffy gave a slight bow as Grand Admiral Thrawn appeared in the embarkation room.

"Grand Admiral. Welcome to the Watcher's Council."

"Master Jedi."

Thrawn looked around the room. "So, it is true," he said. "The secret Jedi enclave isn't even in our universe."

"It was the only place that Palpatine couldn't reach us in," Buffy said lightly. "And the only place our enemies will never be able to access."

"Indeed. I'd imaging you'd be quite safe here," Thrawn agreed.

"Today is our Summer Solstice Festival. Breakfast is already done and now the girls are just mingling. In a few hours we'll start our annual baseball game, which will be followed by dinner and a ball a couple of hours later. I've arranged a room for you to speak with Anakin in between the game and dinner, to give him a chance at least of winding down, if that is agreeable."

"It is." The Chiss gave Buffy a smile. "I always enjoy learning new things about my allies."

"Indeed."

The two leaders talked for a bit while Buffy gave him the grand tour. Soon they were out on the expansive lawn of the Council, where there had been erected a regulation sized baseball field. Running from behind home plate past fist base were several rows of bleachers, where everyone who wasn't playing were seated. Buffy spied Obi-Wan seated next to the young Anakin (as her own brother was playing today) and led the Grand Admiral over towards them. Anakin saw them approach and pulled himself up, bracing against his cane.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn," he greeted politely. He had to keep reminding himself this wasn't the Thrawn his parents had told him about, this was a more…benevolent Thrawn who was cooperating with the New Republic. Thrawn, for his part, raised an eyebrow at this unassuming young man in front of him.

"And you must be the source," Thrawn reasoned. "I must say, I'm surprised. I had expected you to be a little older."

Anakin gave him a wry smile. "Well, I am a Jedi. And the war with the Vong - if you can fight, you do fight, even if you are a kid."

The three took their seats and Thrawn looked out amongst the field. "So, Master Skywalker. What is this baseball?"

"Team sport," Buffy explained. "The person with the bat tries to hit the ball as far out as he or she can, then make their way around the bases back to the home plate before the ball can be returned. Each batter will get three hits and, if they don't make it, they're out. There are three outs per inning and nine innings. After one team has three outs, the teams switch and the other team goes to bat. If the ball is caught in the air before it touches the ground; that is also an out." Buffy stopped as the girls started to whistle and clap and grinned as Xander and Wedge walked up to the pitchers mound.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, distinguished guests, and all that jazz…" Wedge started. "Welcome to the…" he turned to Xander, "what number are we on?"

"Fifth," Xander supplied.

"Fifth annual summer solstice festival! And once again we kick things off with our annual boys versus girls baseball game. The rules are simple. Xander?" He turned to his friend.

"No powers - until the other team uses them. Then it's a free-for-all. But first team to use powers loses fifteen points. General Antilles?"

"Thank you General Harris. Teams, take your positions!" While several Slayers took their place in their team's dugout to hit, the combined Watchers, Jedi and New Republic soldiers took up position in the outfield. Wedge jogged over to first, while Xander stayed at the pitcher's mount. Zett took over second base, while Han took third, Luke, Wesley and Gunn took up the outfield positions as Joyce made her way to bat.

"Hey, batta-batta-batta…" Wedge started, but stopped when his wife gave him a look. "Don't mind me, I'm just admiring the view," he said with a smirk

"Keep it up, flyboy, and all you'll get tonight is a view," Joyce replied sweetly.

The game progressed at a fast, but fun level, with the Slayers getting many more hits that the guys and the guys complaining about their obvious use of powers while the girls denied it. Buffy did her best to describe what was going on to the two visitors, who despite the awkwardness of the situation began to enjoy themselves. At least until Buffy brought them both hot dogs.

Anakin took a big bite and then smiled. "Hey, these aren't bad! What are they made from?"

Buffy hesitated, then smiled sheepishly. "You really don't want to know."

Thrawn and Anakin looked at one another, swallowed, then placed their hot dogs on the ground and went back to watching the game.

The highlight (or lowlight, depending on how you look at it) of the game came at the top of the fifth inning when Vi came up to bat.

"Do you want me to pitch underhanded to ya, kid?" Xander teased. Vi just scowled and raised her bat. Xander let loose a fastball, which whizzed right under her bat as she swung.

"Strike one!" Giles called out.

"What's a matter, ball going to fast for the big, bad Jedi?" Xander mocked lightly. Vi's eyes scrunched up in concentration, but a second fastball went right under her bat yet again.

"Strike two!" Giles announced as Wedge tossed the ball back to Xander, who smirked at his niece.

"Tell ya what - why don't I just walk you? Since you obviously can't hit anything…"

"Shut up and pitch," Vi growled. Xander complied, letting loose his fastball special. Vi closed her eyes as he let the ball go, then swung with all her might. The bat connected, sending the ball back in a powerful line drive-

That ended quite suddenly at the pitcher's mound. Just under waist-height.

The girls all screamed with laughter as the guys all groaned, all feeling sympathy pain as Xander lay on the ground, curled up in the fetal position with his hands grasping his own personal equipment in pain.

"Oh my god!" Vi exclaimed, rushing towards Xander. She dropped down next to him and was about to heal his pain. But when she realized where she would have to place her hands she stopped and looked up to the newly-arrived Anakin Sr.

"You heal him."

* * *

After that the game degenerated into fun catastrophe, for the men at least. Despite several Jedi on their team, they were no match for the more athletic Slayers - especially when powers came into play. Many times, it seemed that the Slayers got their three outs on purpose, just to get the game continue to a finish. Once the game was over and the men had lost horribly, Buffy led Anakin and Thrawn to a small study and left them to talk. When Anakin looked back on it, he would realize just how intelligent Thrawn truly was. The Chiss made it a point not to ask about facts he had already provided, but about his own personal opinions on the battles he himself had experienced. Anakin found himself understanding things about the Vong that he hadn't realized before.

Their conversation winded down around dinner and the two retired to the main ballroom to partake in the feast. Thrawn sat at the main table and talked with Wedge and Joyce while Buffy, Anakin and Xander danced with their respective spouses.

Though Xander, admittedly, danced a bit gingerly.

Anakin meanwhile stepped out on the floor with Vi, who had a bittersweet look on her face.

"Why so serious?" he asked her as they danced through the crowd. Vi gave him a wan smile.

"Mara and I are leaving again in two days. I won't be back here for - well, quite a while, for me. And I'm not really looking forward to it.

"Really? Why not?" Anakin asked. Vi sighed.

"It's just… most girls my age, they're worrying about boys and going shopping and things like that. Meanwhile I'm worried about survival training and lightsaber combat." She sighed again. "Part of me just wants to give up on being a Jedi, you know? Just live a normal life…"

"But it wouldn't be a normal life if you did," Anakin pointed out softly. "Slayers, demons, magic - not to mention, if you just go back to your dad's dimension, the Vong are still coming."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…"

"We'll all miss you, too, little sister," he cut in with a smile. Vi smiled back and hugged him.

"Thanks, big brother."

"So, was your discussion productive, Grand Admiral?" Wedge asked the Chiss as he took a sip of wine from his glass. Thrawn nodded.

"Very. I believe I have the insight into our enemy that I needed. Now, I need merely to create a strategy to exploit their weaknesses."

"And what do you believe are their weaknesses?" Joyce asked.

"Their pride," he responded immediately. "They appear to be convinced that they are superior to us in every way and that there is no possible way we can beat them. Indeed, their early string of victories against young Anakins' worlds reinforced that fact. But they took them by surprise; we know they are coming. They were faced with a largely fractured galaxy ill-equipped for war; we have been preparing for years and we have an arsenal of weapons they do not." Thrawn sat back in his chair with an air of confidence surrounding him. "I believe we will take heavy losses at first, perhaps, but the Vong will never feel as confident as they did in his home galaxy. That, I assure you."

A few hours later, Admiral Thrawn departed, bestowing his thanks and gratitude upon the Slayers, the Jedi and Anakin. Anakin just hoped that what he told the Chiss would make a difference in their war. Around midnight the party started breaking up and the Slayers began transporting back to their basses of operations; the England teams all went out for their nightly patrols, though they weren't expecting much action tonight. Anakin went with Vi and the Solo kids into the lounge for a late night movie marathon. And in a little-used office, three men sat around a small table playing poker.

Xander was feeling much better now, especially after pretty much cleaning out Wedge early on in their little tournament, making up for Wedge's laughing at his injury earlier. Now it was just down to Xander and Andrew, who hadn't been doing too badly - just not as good as Xander.

"So, Thrawn thinks he's got the key to victory now, does he?" Xander remarked, tossing in a few more chips. Andrew frowned. "Well, then I guess the trip was a success. And Thrawn knows now that he can't reach us if we don't want him to."

"Plus we have the best ship designer in the galaxy," Wedge remarked, nodding to Andrew, who blushed. "Now make sure you clean him out for me, kid. I'm counting on you."

"Great, I love pressure," he grimaced as he threw in the rest of his chips. "Well, if I have to go down…"

"That's the spirit!" Xander said jovially, pushing his entire stack in. "We got our troops training hard, the Jedi are training harder, and we have Slayer backup. We got contingency plans to protect the younglings. All in all, things are looking up." He grinned viciously at Andrew. "Like this hand. You ready to put it all on the line?"

Andrew looked at his cards, then back at Xander. "How about if we made this a bit more interesting?" At Xander's curious look, he with drew a data chip from his shirt pocket and placed it on top of the pile. "This is a ship I've been designing in my free time. I haven't given it to you because, well…"

"It's nerdy," Xander finished. Andrew sighed, but nodded. "Here is my proposal. If you win, you get all the money and I never bring this up again. If I win, you can take back your half of the credits, but you let me build this ship for the fleet - no questions asked, no limitations given."

Wedge saw the glint in the Generals' eye. "Xander, don't even think about it…"

"Relax, Wedge," Xander said, waving a placating hand at his friend. "I've got this sewn up." He looked to Andrew and held out a hand. "You've got yourself a deal." The two shook. "Chuuuuuuuump!" Xander smirked, then threw down his cards face first onto the table. Andrew blanched slightly at the sight. "Straight flush." He sat back cockily in his chair. "So, what do you got?"

Andrew looked to his cards, then up at Xander and sighed as he gently tossed the cards down onto the table.

**TBC…**

Next chapter - Anakin is healed, but is he ready to go home? First he must take a vision quest and come face to face with an old friend of Buffy….


	12. Chapter 12: Days of Futures Past

**Disclaimer:**

**See Chapter 1**

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my beta/Editor Fallenstar2. As always, please review- more reviews more story. But on that note, I should warn everybody- this is the last completed chapter I have uploaded at this time. Chapter 13 is with  
Fallenstar2, and Chapter 14 is still being written, though it is almost complete. And I can say with all certainty that the moment everybody has been waiting for- those two worlds collideing- will happen in chapters 14 and 15.

**WARNING:** I feel I should warn you that this chapter does contain what could be considered spoilers for the Dark Nest Trilogy and the Legacy of the Force series. If you haven't read these books and you wish to, you may want to skip past the italicized portion of this chapter. If you really don't want to tarnish your view of the heroic Jacen Solo, then I recomend you stay as far away from those books as you can.

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 12**

**Days of Futures Past**

* * *

**-Halloween-**

Once again, it was the annual Halloween Ball - but this time, Anakin was watching the festivities from the balcony overlooking the dance floor, rather than lying on the floor of the coven room, bleeding to death.

_One year,_ Anakin thought. _It's been one year since I arrived here. One year since I've seen my family, my friends… Tahiri…_

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Anakin looked over to see Buffy standing next to him. He gave her a wan smile.

"Just thinking about home."

Buffy smiled. "I did that a lot, when I was trapped across the barrier."

Anakin nodded. "Well, Dawn's said I'm one hundred percent. I'm fit to travel." He took a cleansing breath as he watched the crowd below him. "I think it's time to go home."

"Is it?" He looked over at Buffy with a quizzical expression. "Anakin, I have no right to ask this of you, but I will anyway. Now, just know that, if you wish, when you are ready we can go to the embarkation room and get you home. But before you go, I'd like for you to do something for me."

"What?" the boy asked cautiously.

"Before Slayers go into the field, they go to a place, up in the mountains for a vision quest. Most times it gets them in touch with the source of their power, so that they can understand it better. Sometimes, these vision quests reveal something important to the Slayers." Buffy looked him in the eye. "I'd like you to go on a vision quest. After that, if you still wish to go home immediately, I'll bring you over myself. But if something is revealed to you, if you want to stay… I will see to it that you receive more intensive training than you have been. And you can still leave at any time."

Anakin looked at her, a myriad of emotions playing across his face. "Stay…what is it, Master Kenobi. Have you seen something?"

Buffy sighed. "I've been getting feelings, though the Force… they lead me to believe if you go home now, you would die." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want this last year to be in vain, for any of us. You are more than a convenient source of information to us, Anakin. You're family." She looked at him, a pleading look in her eyes. "Please, will you do this for me?"

Anakin turned away and stared down at the crowd of people, who were all laughing and smiling and interacting. Friends, comrades in arms…

Family.

Would it be worth going home now if I don't survive? Or is Master Kenobi wrong. Anakin sighed and turned back to Buffy.

"So, where is this place?"

* * *

**-Llyn Ogwen-**

It was the next day when Anakin found himself driving to the lake at Llyn Ogwen up in Wales. This place had become well-visited by the Slayers and Jedi alike over the past few years - the isolation coupled with the beautiful scenery made it an ideal place for meditation. Anakin followed a dirt path up to a clearing near the lake, then parked the vehicle and grabbed his gear. He locked the truck and pocketed the keys, silently thanking Angel for the driving lessons that allowed him to come out here alone, as he wasn't really sure what to expect.

Anakin took his time, walking around the lake and taking in the country around him before making his way up the Carneddau mountain range. All too soon he came to a small level clearing that haled a circle of stones surrounding what had been at one time a small camp fire. Taking the hint Anakin set up camp and built a fire. Once the fire got going, Anakin sat lotus style in front of it, closed his eyes and began to meditate.

What seemed like moments later Anakin opened his eyes and found he was no longer in the clearing. Instead he was in a large building, though its high ceilings and long windows were obscured by a white fog. He was seated on a bench at the edge of what appeared to be an old-fashioned railway platform.

"Welcome, Anakin. I've been expecting you."

Anakin started at the voice and whipped his head around to see a familiar face with green eyes and long, red hair. Familiar, but not quite…

"You're not Aunt Mara…" The woman shook her head.

"My name is Willow."

Anakin looked around. "Where are we?"

Willow smiled. "This is a place of serenity, a place of learning… a place-"

"This is Kings Cross Station, isn't it?" Anakin said dryly. Willow blinked.

"How the frilly heck did you figure that out?"

Anakin laughed. "Vi gave me the Harry Potter books to read while I was in the infirmary."

Willow sighed. "And here I thought I was being terribly clever." She snapped her fingers and the scenery around them changed whirling and then coalescing into a familiar space - the main hold of the _Millennium Falcon_. "Is that better?"

Anakin smiled, a wave of nostalgia passing through him. For all the complaints he had about this ship, it was still home, of a sort. "Yeah, much better." He looked at the woman shrewdly. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Aren't you?"

Anakin bowed his head slightly. "Good point."

"You're here on a vision quest." Willow shrugged her shoulders. "I'm your vision."

Anakin nodded and sat down on the bench by the game table. "Alright, vision me away. Tell me why I shouldn't go home now, back to where I belong? Why I should stay away longer from my family, my friends? Tahiri?"

Willow smirked at him slightly. "Is it so bad on Earth?"

"No," Anakin shook his head. "But I don't belong here."

Willow nodded and sat down across from him. With a thought she activated the holographic table and the pieces came to life. "Let me ask you something, Anakin," she started, moving her piece. "Why are you still alive?"

Anakin looked at her quizzically, even as he moved one of his pieces to intercept hers. The two miniature monsters clashed and his long-necked beast bit the head off of her small, pig-faced creature. "Because Vi and Gramps healed me."

"And how was it that they were able to heal you?"

Anakin considered her question for a moment. "Through the Force?" he answered, though he suspected that wasn't the answer she was looking for. She confirmed that thought by shaking her head.

"Haven't you wondered how it was you came to be on Earth?" she asked. "The Force is a powerful thing, Ani, and it can be used to do many things. But dimensional travel isn't one of them." She smiled sadly. "If it was, I never would have fallen to the Dark Side."

Anakin sat back in his chair and thought. "But I was injured - dying. I was becoming one with the Force. And then something-"

"Then something pulled you across the dimensional barrier," Willow finished. "That wasn't the Force, Ani. That was magic."

"Okay, fine. Tara's coven was doing a séance of sorts and Mara was involved. We've often thought that was the reason…"

Willow smiled. "My daughter is a powerful Jedi and is becoming a heck of a witch. But she didn't pull you over." She smiled as her figure checked his queen. "I did."

Anakin was thunderstruck. "You? How? Why?"

Willow laughed lightly. "So many questions!" she sighed. "Many years ago, I ruined the life of a man called Anakin. Perhaps I felt that this was just one more way to make it up to him." She looked at him, a serious expression on her face. "Perhaps I didn't want his family to suffer any more."

"Than why me?" Anakin pressed. "I'm not his grandson; I didn't even really know the man!"

"No, you're not and you didn't. But what have you done since I brought you over?"

It clicked. "Information on the Vong." Willow nodded

"Correct. The information you provided is priceless, Ani. That alone will ensure he can do everything to protect his family." She took a breath. "But that isn't the only reason."

"Then what's the other one?" he asked.

"I'm more than just a Jedi apprentice and a former Sith Lord, Anakin," Willow started. "I was a witch - a mystical being. Though I became one with the Force, I am still able to tap into those mystical forces - that's how I was able to move you."

"But why me?" he repeated.

"Because as I searched for a way to protect the ones I loved, even after death - I stumbled onto your reality. And I watched it. I looked into its past - and its future." She looked at him intently. "These things - I can show you, if you let me."

"Why would I want to see them?" Anakin asked warily.

"Because you want to know 'why you'," she replied simply.

Anakin considered for a long moment before nodding. "Show me."

Calmly Willow reached over and placed her hand on his head and images started to flash past his eyes…

_A living world jumping into the Coruscant system._

_His Uncle Luke leading the Jedi to the devastated planet of Coruscant as the Galactic Alliance fleet began a massive engagement in the space above…_

_Luke, Jaina and Jacen fighting against a massive Yuuzhan Von and his new servants, and Uncle Luke cutting off it's head with both his and Anakin's lightsaber…_

_Jaina being attacked by the grotesque Shamed One…_

_Jacen fighting the shamed one, becoming one with the Force and literally healing it back into nothingness…_

_His family parting ways, as Jacen left to travel the galaxy to accrue the knowledge of other Force -using cultures…_

_The Kilicks, given sentience by Raynar Thul and controlled by a dark side sect led by Lomi Pl, waging war against the Chiss and the GA, while his friends from the Myrkr mission were drawn in…_

_Jaina and Zekk becoming Joiners…_

_Jacen tricking them into attacking the Chiss base…_

_Jaina swearing she'd never fly with him again…_

_Jacen and Tenel Ka, sharing a passionate embrace… and then a small, red haired girl with Jacen's eyes appears… his daughter…_

_Jacen, drawn into a battle of wits against Lumiya - which he fails as he is seduced to the Dark Side and kills Nelani Dinn._

_Jacen, convinced that the Dark Side is the only way to ensure peace for his child, falling deeper and deeper into its cold embrace…_

_Jacen manipulating Ben, his own cousin, trying to turn him from his Jedi apprentice to his Sith apprentice…_

_Jacen, ordering his flagship the Anakin Solo to fire on the Millennium Falcon, even though his parents, sister and his own apprentice is on board, and blowing a hole through the center of the ship_

_Jacen, seizing control of the government with the help of a Mon Cal admiral…_

_Jacen, locked into mortal combat with Aunt Mara, momentarily startles her by imposing an image of her own son over his face - then jabs her with a poison dart, killing her within minutes…_

_Jacen, now known as Darth Cadeus, attempting to launch a new wave of Jedi Purges with the help of his new apprentice, Tahiri…_

_Cadeus torturing Ben in the embrace of pain and then fighting Uncle Luke…_

_Cadeus, setting fire to Kashyyyk's forests…_

_Tahiri, observing as a modified medical droid tortures Ben to get information…_

_Tahiri, torturing a member of the GAG for information in front of Ben, stared in horror as her Force Lightening kills the Bothan…_

_Tahiri and Ben, fighting each other tooth and nail…_

_Cadeus and Jaina locked into mortal combat - for one brief instant Jacen breaks through to call out to his love and Jaina takes the opportunity to strike him down…_

_Jaina, horribly wounded, cradling her dead brother's body in her arms…_

"STOP!"

Anakin panted, the vision taking a tremendous toll on him. Willow sat back with a sad look on her face. Anakin glared at the witch. "Why? Why show me that?"

"Because you asked," she replied simply. "You wanted to know why I saved you. Because without you, your reality's future is the bleakest I have seen. Without you, your brother falls to the Dark Side, your sister wanders alone, afraid to love. Without you, Tahiri has no real reason to live and becomes easy prey for your brother's manipulations until she, too fall to the Dark Side. Why you?" she looked him dead in the eye. "I destroyed one Anakin's life. This way, maybe I can help save two."

The two sat in a tense silence before Anakin spoke. "That's what will happen if I'm not there?"

"That's what may happen," Willow corrected. "You have to realize something, Ani. Jaina may be Jacen's twin, but you compliment him in ways she can't. You push him, you challenge him, but you also keep him in check. He needs you there to keep him grounded."

"And if I go back now, I'll die?"

Willow sighed. "It's a strong possibility. Anakin, you've been taught how to fight like a Jedi, which has served you well - until now. But the Vong aren't a typical enemy. And the Jedi haven't been quite as effective as they could have been. Buffy can teach you, Anakin, to fight like a Slayer. She can teach you how to survive. She survived for five years on a hellmouth - she can teach you how to survive, too."

Anakin looked forlornly at the table. "But I miss them so much," he said softly. Willow's heart went out to the boy.

"You need to make a choice, Anakin," she said at length. "You can either see them now for a very short time, and this future will still come to pass; or you can wait to see them for a short time, and possibly give them all a new future." She smiled once more. "The choice is yours."

* * *

Anakin woke with a start and found himself back in the clearing. Shakily he rose, the vision still fresh in him mind. He looked around and saw the first rays of light begin to peak over the mountain tops. He stared at the majestic view for several long minutes, gathering his thought, then began packing up his campsite. Within ten minutes he was headed back down the mountain and back towards the Council.

Buffy was joking with Dawn and her new group of Slayers that had dubbed themselves the Dawn Patrol when Anakin returned. Buffy saw the look on his face, then turned to Dawn. "Sweetie, could you all excuse us?"

Dawn took the hint and nodded. "We're going to head out on patrol." She nodded at the young man. "Welcome back, Ani. You're entrance was subtler than mine when I returned from my vision quest, but apparently just as effective." She winked then exited the room. Buffy looked to the young man, who stared back at her intensely. After a moment, he spoke.

"Teach me."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the eternal ether that was the Force, Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie sat in the construct of the Solo apartment on Coruscant, staring intently on a conjured image before her. In her zeal to make things right, she inadvertently made what may be her greatest mistake. For if Anakin went back too early and died, Buffy and the others would still take an interest in that 3rd world - if only to make up for Anakin's death. And if Jacen fell, there would be more than one innocent life twisted to the darkness. She looked at the image of the girl in front of her - long brown hair tied back into a simple ponytail, a pale face accentuated by blank, silver-red eyes, dark combat clothes, and a glowing red lightsaber in her hand. This girl would end up being Cadeus' other apprentice, one whom he would twist against her will to do her bidding. A girl that shared her name.

Violet Willow Jukassa.

Willow sighed and sent a silent prayer out to her old friend. "Teach him well, Buffy."

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13: Homecoming

**Disclaimer: ****See Chapter 1**

**A/N:** I was going to wait untill I finished the next chapter, but I guess I'll go ahead and post this today. Special thanks as always to my beta/editor Fallenstar2. And as always, please remember to review!

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 13**

**Homecoming**

* * *

Buffy never asked what Anakin had seen in his vision and Anakin never volunteered to tell her. But the Master noted that the young Jedi threw himself into his new training regimen, keeping pace with the Slayers during their morning exercises and throwing himself into his workouts. Every morning he joined Dawn's new group - Rona, Molly, Michelle and two new Slayers named Cassandra and Kate - in their sparring sessions, re-learning to fight hand to hand with the masters of the craft. After a quick visit to the medical wing to heal up the inevitable injuries he received, he would then head to the gym to workout for two hours, then he retreated to the pool to swim for an additional hour. After that he meditated, then ran three miles before finally collapsing, exhausted, into his bed. But his sleep was uneasy, plagued with nightmares of his brother with glowing yellow eyes, of Tahiri, dressed all in black with her lightsaber glowing a malevolent red. Buffy tolerated his single-minded dedication for a time, but by the fourth month, even she was starting to worry about the boy. Deciding enough was enough, she recalled two people she hoped could temper the boy.

Once more Anakin was awakened by the dream with the glowing yellow eyes - but when he opened his, he once more found himself staring into a pair of familiar silver eyes.

"You know, if you keep this up people will talk," Anakin rasped dryly. Vi smirked.

"You look like shit, Ani."

Vi sat back on the edge of the bed and Anakin pulled himself up. He looked her over - her hair was a bit longer, but still in the ponytail; she had traded in the traditional Jedi garb for slacks and a t-shirt. Her face amazed him the most, though - despite seeing her in the summer, he was still amazed that he had literally missed years of her life. The girl had matured from the awkward, lanky tween to a beautiful teenager whom he knew would be breaking hearts in a few years. "How old are you now?"

Vi rolled her eyes. "Very smooth, slick. Just the question every woman wants to hear in bed…"

"Yeah…about that," Anakin started, "it may have been all innocent when you were nine, but now…"

"I'm fourteen and everybody knows you're my brother," she replied smugly. "So, in keeping with the tradition of the Summers women setting their brother's straight…" And with that, she belted him in the jaw, sending him sprawling off the bed and onto the floor.

"VI!" Anakin shouted. "What the hell!"

"There's a very fine line between working out and burning out," Vi said sternly, ignoring Anakin's furious look. "You've been pushing yourself to the limit, then blowing past it! If you keep this up, you'll either end up dying as soon as you start fighting over there or you'll just end up killing yourself here!"

"Damn it, Vi! I need to be ready!"

"For what? The Vong - or something else?" she asked shrewdly. "What has got you so spooked, Ani?"

"Nothing."

Vi frowned. "Don't 'nothing' me, Anakin Solo, or I'll belt you again." She sat back on the bed as Anakin drew himself to his feet. "Now, tell me."

Anakin let out a defeated sighed and moved to the dresser. He looked at his reflection in the mirror there, taking in the dark circles under his eyes that even meditation couldn't remove. "It was the vision I got," he started, glancing at the girl through the mirror. "When I went on that vision quest. I saw the future - a possible future," he corrected.

"What did you see?" she asked again softly.

Anakin took another shuddering breath. "Unending war. Jacen as a Sith Lord, with Tahiri at his side as his apprentice… Every night, I see his yellow eyes in my dreams…."

"Oh, Ani…"

He turned to face his friend - his sister, in all but blood; a haunted look on his face. "I can't let that happen, Vi. I _won't _let it happen."

Vi crossed the room and pulled Anakin into a fierce hug. "You won't let it, Ani. We won't. I promise you," she whispered and then pulled back slightly. "But if you keep this pace of yours up, you'll kill yourself. So this is what's going to happen: first, you take the rest of the week off. No exceptions!" she exclaimed as he started to protest. "Starting next week, you'll begin training with Mara and I. We'll be doing some work with the Slayers, so you'll still get their fighting training as well. And when the time comes, well be with you every step of the way until it's over. You hear me?"

"Why?" he asked plaintively. "Why fight my war, when you have your own to prepare for?"

"Because you're family, dimensional differences be damned," Vi said with an air of finality. "And family sticks together."

* * *

Reluctantly, Anakin took the rest of the week off of physical training, though he did spend most of his times in the archives studying. Vi wanted to beat him up for that, but as Mara pointed out to her young apprentice, the boy wasn't actually training. Once his week of rest was up, though, Mara made sure to put him through his paces. He- resumed his morning training with the Dawn Patrol, then went straight into training with Mara and Vi. Anakin worked on perfecting his lightsaber technique, working intensely with Mara on the Makashi form and practiced on Vi, who was more than able to hold her own. Much to all of their surprise he found that he had formed a connection of sorts with Vi which made them an excellent lightsaber dueling team. Vi explained it as a side effect of the intensive healing she had performed on Anakin when he was so close to death all those months ago.

More than just physical combat and lightsaber training, both Mara and Joyce insisted on weapon's training as well. "And not just your standard blasters," Joyce explained one day in the firing range where Anakin, Buffy, Mara and Vi were gathered. "Blasters are all well and good, but not to effective against Vong armor. So instead we'll concentrate on these." And with that she lifted a rather large revolver, pointed it one-handed at a piece of armor plating set up against the far wall and pulled the trigger. Everybody except Joyce winced at the sound.

"Joyce!" Buffy shouted, her ears still ringing.

"Holy crap!" Vi said in amazement, looking at the armor plate which now had a rather large hole in it. "What was that?"

"Smith and Wesson model 500," Joyce said, passing the gun to Anakin. "When you absolutely, positively, have to blow the head off of your enemy in one shot. Give it a try, Junior."

Anakin looked at the weapon in mild distaste. Being the son of Han Solo he was no stranger to guns, but he was raised around high-powered blasters, not ancient slug-throwers such as this. But he looked again at the armor plate and couldn't help but admit that it seemed more effective than any blaster. So imitating Joyce, he took aim with one hand, and squeezed the trigger - and felt his shoulder nearly rip out from the socket as the recoil jerked his arm up. He missed the armor plate entirely, instead putting a hole into the far wall.

Anakin glared at Joyce while Vi hurried to heal his arm. The Mandalorian Slayer, though, merely smirked.

"Careful, it's got a bit of a kick."

* * *

Once again Xander and Wedge found themselves stuck in a security council meeting - but for some reason, Xander was nervous. He felt he knew why - things were heating up in the third world and soon it would be time to travel across the barrier to aid their counterparts. The benefits were two-fold: on one hand they were keeping their word to help the young man who had provided such valuable intelligence; and on the other hand, it allowed them to test their newest ships and technology against the enemy without the threat against their home territories. On that side, Andrew had outdone himself in the last few years and Xander was eagerly anticipating breaking in the new ships of the line. Not to mention a few other inventions of his…

Xander rolled his eyes but held in his groan as Borsk Fey'la stood. After all - he wasn't just a senator anymore, he was the Chief of State and, by proxy, his boss. "My friends," he started, rather disingenuously Xander thought, "For years, you have know me to be a staunch opponent of the Jump Drives that were designed, built, and installed by the Watcher's Council in several of our ships. I have felt that the risks of such technology falling into our enemy's hands far outweighed the benefits of the advantages they give us over our more conventional hyperdrives. More to the point, I have never truly trusted these 'Earthlings', as their motives have never been made clear…"

"Our motives are perfectly clear," Xander argued behind ground teeth. "The Jedi took in our friend, so we took them in during their greatest time of need. In return, they helped us in our mission to keep Earth safe. As long as an Earther - or any friends of Earth - are on the Jedi Council, we will always help them when they ask. And they will help us."

"But it's convenient, isn't it? That a group of people with so much power has a secret hideaway beyond the reach of the government they claim to serve?"

"The Jedi don't claim to serve the _government_, Chief of State," Padmé interrupted. "They do serve the _people_ of the New Republic, as they did the people of the Republic before them. They merely work _with_ the government for mutual benefit. And might I remind the Chief of State that all of the technological advances that were developed on Earth by the Watcher's Council were turned over to the New Republic for analysis and mass-production, including the jump drives."

"Yet said drives are dependent on people from Earth to operate them!"

"It's the nature of the drives, Chief of State," Padmé explained patiently. "No one in this dimension has the capability to charge the drives."

"Again, convenient," Borsk sneered. "As Chief of State, I am declaring an immediate stop to any and all ship-based portal travel until such time as a new agreement with the Watcher's and Jedi Council's can be arranged. Representative Skywalker, would you please convey that to your people on Earth? I would like to arrange a meeting within the next few weeks…"

"Hold on, Chief," Xander interrupted. "Recent intelligence from the third world is indicating a massive offensive may be launched soon. Our source will be returning and we owe it to him to back him up!"

"It's not our world, General Harris. Therefore, it's not our problem."

"We gave our word," Xander ground out. Borsk smiled grimly.

"Your word is not the same as my orders," he said primly. "My orders stand. This committee is dismissed."

Xander left the meeting seething. "I can't believe that arrogant, idiotic son of a bitch…"

"What are we going to do, Xander?" Wedge asked quietly, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "What if they need us?"

"Well, I'm not going to turn my back on Junior, that's for sure," Xander sighed. "The _Mystery Machine _is mine. I found it, the clones I found still crew it. If we're needed, I'll go over myself."

"And Borsk?"

Xander shrugged. "To hell with him. I'll just go back to Earth. After all," he laughed bitterly as he started walking away, "he can't reach me there, right?"

Wedge sighed and turned to walk back to his office- and nearly collided with Padmé. "Representative Skywalker!" he exclaimed, taking a half step back. "What can I do for you?"

Padmé smiled. "When I was a senator, it was a little known rule that any government representative could make a request of the fleet to observe training maneuvers." She grinned wickedly. "So, I hear you have some new ships…"

* * *

Handguns, lightsabers, hand to hand - Anakin absorbed it all. When he wasn't training, he spent time talking to Vi; the two friendship really solidified during this time and Anakin became a true big brother to her. He went out with the Dawn Patrol almost every week, taking Zett's place in the team. He found that a vampire's enhanced strength was closest to the strength of a Yuuzhan Vong warrior and under the protection of the Slayers took his time to practice on them before dusting the creatures. When patrols turned up nothing though, Spike and Angel both helped him hone his hand to hand.

But as the saying goes - all good things must come to an end. And when Joyce came back from her latest scouting mission, Buffy realized that their time was up.

"Thank you all for coming," Buffy started from her seat in the Council chamber. Along with her fellow masters Joyce, Anakin, Mara, Vi, Dawn and the Dawn Patrol, Faith, Kennedy, Giles, Xander, Angel and his group and Tara were gathered around. Once everyone settled down, Buffy continued. "Joyce just brought back some interesting information about the state of affairs in the third world. Joyce?"

The Mandalorian nodded and stepped forward. "It appears that things are coming to a head," she began. "Apparently Luke, along with Mara, Jacen and a few others, traveled to the Empire and secured their support after saving Palleon's life and helping to defend the Empire, then proceeded to the Chiss Empire. According to the intelligence, they were looking for something called Zonama-"

"Sekot!" Anakin interrupted. Joyce glanced at her uncle.

"You know something about it?"

"Obi-Wan and I visited there years ago, trying to secure their ships for the Republic. But it was attacked and decided to leave."

"Is it a person?" Buffy asked, racking her brains trying to remember those early missions of her brothers. Anakin shook his head.

"It's a planet. It's self-aware and can travel through hyperspace."

Buffy stared at her brother. "You must be joking."

"I never joke about my work," he replied in a mock-serious voice. Buffy turned to her husband, but he shook his head.

"Meanwhile, Leia and the rest have been trying to connect with parts of the galaxy the Vong had cut off. There was some excitement at Bakura and one of the deep-space communication's outposts. Currently they've returned to Mon Calamari to help plan another major offensive against the Vong.

"But the big news is this - It would appear that Luke has found Zonama Sekot and the Vong have learned about its existence as well. Corran Horn and Tahiri Velia," Anakin perked up at hearing his love's name, "were sent on a mission to infiltrate Coruscant to make contact with the Vong prophet Yu'Shaa, who apparently wants to back the Jedi and the newly formed Galactic Alliance with the support of the shamed ones. Meanwhile, the Vong are apparently planning a major offensive against Mon Cal." She looked up to Buffy. "You said we were going to help. I think now would be the time."

"I agree," Buffy stated. "But were should we help? Luke and his contingent on Sekot, or the Galactic Alliance on Mon Cal?"

"I think we should head to Zonama Sekot," the elder Anakin stated. "Sekot is a living world; the Vong abhor technology. I think Luke is on to something in his thinking that the planet could help end the war."

"With its ships?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin shook his head.

"With its existence."

"But how would we locate it?" Roan asked. "Nothing in Joyce's intelligence gave a location."

"That's the easy part," Fred stated. "We get a blood sample for Luke, then use the same locator spell we used to find Buffy. If he is on this Zonama Sekot, we'll find him in no time."

"Okay,." Buffy agreed. "If we're going to help, we'll probably need backup. Xander, how likely are New Republic reinforcements?"

"Well, you got me and my ship," he started, shaking his head, "but anything over that, I don't know. Old Horse-face, since he couldn't gain control of the Jump Drives, put a temporary ban on dimensional travel via ship. The rest of the Security Council went along with it just to shut him up, I think."

"Then how will you get your ship across?" the younger Anakin asked. Xander grinned.

"Well, I already have a job lined up on Earth, so being canned from the NR military won't affect me too much." Aayla looked sad at that, but proud that her husband would stand up for his convictions.

"We will, of course, try to prevent that," the Twi'lek stated.

"In the mean time, though, we'll need a strike team to start out with." Buffy continued, looking around. "I plan to travel across with young Anakin; who else would like to go."

"I'll be going, too," Dawn announced. Zett nodded at his wife. "As will my husband."

"Yo, I'm up for a fight," Faith added.

"We are, too," Rona said, gesturing at the rest of her team. "The Dawn Patrol is with you, Ani."

"Aw, hell. Can't let you lot have all the fun," Spike announced. Angel nodded.

"We're both in."

"As are my apprentice and I," Mara announced, much to Dawn's displeasure. Mara noted that and sighed. "She'll have to fight the Vong some time, Dawn. Better sooner than later."

"Besides," Vi put in, "someone has to make sure Ani doesn't get himself killed."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Obi-Wan and I will be going as well," the elder Anakin stated. "And that should do it."

"Kennedy," Faith started, looking at the other Slayer, "you'll be in charge of prepping a couple more squads of Slayers. Get them on the Mystery Machine."

"You got it, boss," Kennedy replied.

"Listen up everybody," Buffy said once more, "we leave in two days. I want everybody rested and ready, because this will be the first of many fights with the Vong that we will have - and perhaps the last fights that one of us will ever have to have." She looked at the young Anakin, who nodded. "May the Force be with us all. Dismissed."

The group broke up and Vi turned to Anakin. "You ready for this?" she asked.

Anakin smiled. "Absolutely," he said with confidence. "It's time to go home."

* * *

The next two days found the Council buzzing with activity as the Slayers and Jedi prepared to cross over. Luke came to Earth and provided a blood sample with which was used to locate his counterpart, deep within the Uncharted Regions. The Slayers were all fitted with new armor, as was Anakin the day before they left.

"Okay, here we go," Fred started, laying out Anakin's kit on the workbench in her lab. Anakin looked at the gear with interest, then looked up at Fred.

"Do I really need all of this?"

Fred shrugged. "Probably not, being a Jedi and all. Still, better too much than not enough." She rapped her knuckles against the body armor. "Chest and arms are a titanium-dipped fiber, made to be light, but still tough. It's flexible enough to give you complete range of movement for your arms, so it shouldn't affect your lightsaber combat any. It's strong enough to ward off glancing blows from Vong thud-bugs and slashes from their amphistaffs, but a straight shot will puncture it. I've got armor for the lower body as well…"

Anakin shook his head. "Too cumbersome. I'll take the top, though."

Fred nodded, then continued showing off the gear. "Two DL-44 blasters, like your dad's. Your equipment pouch comes with five additional power packs. I'm also giving you a Glock 19 semi automatic handgun with armor-piercing rounds. You have three clips with 17 rounds per clip. I'll Also give you a .44 Magnum, which has slightly less recoil than Joyce's hand cannon - but only slightly."

Anakin laughed. "I'll be the most heavily armed Jedi in history."

"Well, just remember - you are not invincible. These weapons should give you an edge, but use them carefully. I also gave you the standard Jedi equipment belt, with everything in it- including your ammo. Standard coms gear and your own PPG. It's set to automatically come back here, so if you get into a serious jam, hit the red button. Any questions?"

He hefted the .44 and grinned. "Yeah. Are you feeling lucky?"

* * *

The day had come and everyone was gathered in the embarkation room. Anakin took his time putting on his gear - a standard beige work pants and shirt, then his body armor. He fitted on his equipment belt, attaching Willow's lightsaber to the clip. He slipped on the two shoulder holsters and then checked his two new pistols before slipping them in and securing them. Then he put on the two hip holsters, securing them around his legs before checking the two blasters and slipping them in as well. Next he put on the old CorSec jacket Buffy had given him for Christmas, before finally putting on the brown fedora that had come from Vi. He glanced briefly in the mirror and smirked at his reflection before heading out to the embarkation room.

Anakin arrived, looking around at the throng of people who had pledged to help him and his family free his galaxy from the Vong threat. He nodded at several and sent a mock scowl at Vi who giggled at his appearance before heading over to the portal control station. He glanced at the coordinates laid out in the computer, but something bothered him about them. He didn't thing they were wrong, per say - just not completely right. Centering himself in the Force he reached out, trying to find the source of his unease. Subconsciously he reached out and adjusted the jump coordinates slightly and suddenly it just felt right. Sighing, he stepped back and turned towards Buffy.

"Buffy," he started. The Jedi Master looked to him with a questioning face. "I think I should go first, to scout around." Buffy started to shake her head, but he pressed on. "Listen, if all of us just suddenly show up, Uncle Luke will be defensive and Aunt Mara even more so. Let me go first to scout around and talk to them, then I can send you a signal to come over."

Buffy considered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. But be careful. And if there are any problems, send a distress call immediately. If you can't raise us on the coms for whatever reason, the small blue button on your PPG will transmit the distress call. Got it?"

Anakin nodded. "Got it."

Buffy smiled. "Then good luck. And may the Force be with you."

"May it be with us all."

* * *

**Zonama Sekot**

**The Third World**

A flash of purple and white energy marked the return of Anakin Solo to his home dimension. The young man staggered for a moment, suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of familiar and alien sensations that were bombarding him through the Force.

"Whoa," he muttered, leaning up against an unfamiliar looking tree, trying to regain his balance. He glanced around, staring in wonder at the alien landscape dotted with tall trees, wild grass-

And the biggest hyperwave antenna he had ever seen.

"Holy crap," Anakin mumbled. "Gramps wasn't kidding!"

"You weren't here before."

Anakin spun and came face to face with a young, sandy-haired boy. Well, not quite face to face - the boy was over a head shorter than him. Still, there was something familiar… and then it hit him, a picture Buffy had shown him of a much younger Anakin Skywalker, who had just joined the Jedi.

"Well, I know you're not Anakin Skywalker, so I'm guessing your Sekot," Anakin said with a smile, doing his best to look non-threatening. The last thing he wasted to do was to make a planet mad at him. "And no, I just arrived here. My name is Anakin Solo."

Sekot nodded. "I know. The lost Jedi." He tilted his head towards the hyperwave antennas. "More Jedi are in there."

Anakin nodded. "I know. I'm here to help them."

Sekot shook his head. "You're too late. One of the others, the ones I can't feel, have sabotaged me. I'm trying to repair the damage, but it is difficult."

Anakin paled slightly. "Yuuzhan Vong? They are here?"

Sekot nodded. "And more are coming. You must hurry, if you want to help your friends." With that, the boy disappeared. Anakin's face set into a determined mask and then he took off in a run towards the massive metal structure in the valley below.

* * *

The door opened and Nom Anor stepped out, smiling, his hands extended with open palms.

"Stop right there," Tahiri commanded.

"If I don't, will you cut me down?" Nom Anor asked. "I have no weapons."

"You wouldn't use them if you had them," Tahiri snapped.

"Coward. You wouldn't fight Anakin at Yag'Dhul."

Nom Anor shrugged. "True enough. How is the young Solo brat? No - didn't I hear he died? Yes, that's right, he did. And you two were close, were you not? What a pity."

"Shut up," Tahiri said. The hatred was welling up in her, urging her to do exactly as he had suggested, cut him down and slash that murderous smug leer from his face.

"You're angry," Nom Anor said. "I thought you Jedi weren't supposed to get angry."

"I make an exception for you," Tahiri said.

"How flattering," the executor purred. "You would turn to the dark side just for me?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Tahiri said.

"Wrong," Nom Anor replied, taking a step out of the turbolift. "I have studied your ways, Jedi. I know that if you strike me down in anger you will have committed the most terrible sin your kind can commit."

"You won't care about that," Tahiri said. "You'll be dead."

"Will I?" He took another step.

"Stop," Tahiri commanded.

"Very well. I will do as you ask." He stopped, less than a meter away, staring at her. She felt her hands shaking - not with fear, but with the effort to control her passions.

"Kill him," Harrar said.

"He's not armed," Tahiri said. "I won't murder him."

"No!" Harrar said, leaping forward.

It distracted Tahiri for an instant and she looked away, noticing even as she did that one of Anor's pupils was growing...

Memory clicked - something Leia had said about that eye. She leapt aside as the glob of venom spurted toward her, but she hadn't taken the guardrail into account. She hit it with her hip and agonizing pain jolted up her side. She collapsed to the ground, even as Harrar was batted away by a vicious kick from the Executor. Tahiri staggered to her feet as Nom Anor came at her again-

And stared in shock as a fist collided with the Vong's face, sending him sprawling.

Nom Anor landed hard but rolled through, coming up on his feet - and then staring in the same shocked silence as Tahiri. For before him, wearing a leather jacket, a wide-brimmed hat and holding an unlit lightsaber hilt in his hand was Anakin Solo, the very same Jedi he had refused to fight - the very same Jedi who had died. Anakin Solo stood before him with a scowl on his face.

"Get the hell away from my girl," Anakin growled, igniting the purple blade. "Now."

**TBC…**


	14. Chapter 14: Arrival on Zonama Sekot

**NJO14**

**Disclaimer:**

**See Chapter 1**

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my beta/editor Fallenstar2.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Arrival on Zonama Sekot**

**Soundtrack - Arrival to Earth (Transformers Score)**

* * *

**Zonama Sekot**

Nom Anor stared in shock at the boy - no, man - before him. The man whom he had refused to fight more than once and who he'd seen die on Myrkr.

Anakin Solo smiled coldly. "What do you say, Nom? Third time a charm?" Nom Anor growled.

"You want me? Then come and take me!" And with that, he let out another blast of poison from his plaeryin bol. Anakin leapt to the side and cursed at not seeing that coming. Harrar was forced back to avoid the wild swing of Anakin's lightsaber while Tahiri, still completely stunned with her love's sudden reappearance, caught a boot to the chest courtesy of Nom Anor and tumbled over the railing into the seemingly bottomless pit below. Anakin cursed and leapt towards the railing, swiping at Nom Anor with his lightsaber but barely missing as the Vong operative darted out the door. Harrar screamed in frustration and took off after him, but Anakin paid him no heed. He reached the railing and reached out over it, catching Tahiri with the Force and slowly started bringing her back up.

* * *

Tahiri stared at Anakin in amazement, her mind barely processing what was happening. _He's alive_, she thought, dumbfounded. _It wasn't a lie! He was really ali—_ her thoughts were cut off as Nom Anor's boot slammed into her gut sending her tumbling over the railing and into the access shaft beyond. As she tumbled down into the inky darkness, she despaired in not being able to say anything to her friend, her love - and then suddenly she slowed to a stop in midair. Tahiri looked around in confusion as she started to float back up, turning in midair so that her feet were now pointed down instead of her head. As she reached the railing, she gasped once more as she spied Anakin, with an impish grin on his face sand his hand outstretched to her as he directed the Force to put her down gently in front of him. After a moment, she was finally able to speak.

"A-Anakin?"

The boy smiled warmly at his friend, his love. "Hey, Ri," he said, using his old nickname for her. He seemed to be thinking for a moment before he spoke again. "Don't kill me for this, but as I've been waiting for nearly two years…" he trailed off as he gently grasped her behind the head and pulled her into a searing kiss. Tahiri's senses exploded as their old bond flared to life once more; feelings and sensations flooded both of them, overwhelming their senses. Finally he pulled away, a goofy smile on his face. "Definitely worth the wait."

"Anakin," Tahiri repeated, looking up and down at the young Jedi. "How…"

"Long story," he interrupted. "I'll tell you as soon as we take care of business here. What Was Nom Anor doing?" he asked, suddenly all business. His question snapped her out of her daze.

"He was sabotaging the planet's hyperdrive," she began. "Master Horn and I came to investigate. Corran when down…" she stopped as one of the lifts at the end of the hall opened up, revealing the Corellian Jedi Master.

"Tahiri, where's—by the Force!" he exclaimed upon seeing the other Jedi. "Anakin?!"

Anakin grinned again. "Hey, Master Horn. What's new?"

"You…you're… you died!" he exclaimed. Anakin frowned.

"Just for a minute," he protested. "Anor bolted and that other Vong—"

"Yuuzhan Vong," Tahiri corrected absently.

"Took off after him," Anakin picked up smoothly. "Did you find what he did?"

"Well, no…"

"Then we should get him fast so we can convince him to reverse it," Anakin finished. "Let's go."

"WAIT!" Horn thundered. Anakin turned back around, slightly exasperated. "You died! We felt it! Tahiri _saw_ it! And how you're here, chasing after Yuuzhan Vong like nothing's happened…"

"It's a long story," Anakin repeated. "I promise, I'll tell you later."

"You'll tell us _now_," Horn insisted. Anakin sighed.

"Fine. I died, became one with the Force, but was pulled back to the land of the living by the Force ghost of a Force-sensitive witch who had died a few years ago and then I spent the past year and a half in another dimension on a planet called Earth recovering from my injuries and being re-trained to deal with this threat by an organization called the Watcher's Council along with a group of Jedi from a third dimension who lived there and assisted them." He took a breath, smirking slightly at the dumbfounded look on both Corran's and Tahiri's face.

"Or you can tell us later," Corran finally conceded.

"Good idea," Anakin replied with a grin. "Now, shall we go get Nom Anor?"

"Let's," Corran agreed, moving towards the exit.

* * *

"Anything new?"

Mara shook her head. "No. The ship's been sitting there for the past ten minutes, doing nothing," she addressed her husband, who was leaning over her chair. Jacen sat in the co-pilot's chair and Saba Sebatyne and Danni Quee sat in the chairs behind them. They were flying the Jade Shadow towards a clearing where Sekot had detected a Yuuzhan Vong ship landing a short time ago. Sekot had been unable to do anything as it had been suddenly felled by alien programming. That alone was enough to worry Luke, but the presence of the Vong ship indicated that said programming was Vong in nature and that the alien menace had been able to sabotage the living world. How successful they had been had yet to be determined.

"I'm going to land in the forest, about half a click from the Vong ship," Mara stated, already starting the descent. "We can make our way to the clearing on foot from there."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to take the Saber in?" Danni asked.

"If they have support craft in orbit, as soon as we make an attack run on the grounded ship they'd start pounding us," Mara replied. "I want to keep it out of harms way as long as possible. Danni, I'll want you to stay with the ship. IF we run into any major problems," she swallowed, then continued reluctantly, "I want you to take this ship and come rescue us."

"You'll let Danni fly your ship?" Jacen asked with wry amusement. Luke chuckled, but Mara scowled.

"She's better suited to fly the ship then to fight the Vong hand to hand," Mara reasoned, looking at the scientist. "That being said, if you put so much as a scratch on my ship, you'll learn in intimate fashion exactly what I was taught by Palpatine. Understood?"

Danni gulped. "Yes, ma'am."

Mara sat the ship down and the four Jedi rose. "Keep the ship sealed and the shields up," Mara told the scientist. Danni nodded.

"Good luck."

Luke gave a small smile. "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck."

The four Jedi departed and took off at a dead run towards the clearing. They stopped at the edge of the trees. Luke looked over to his nephew. "Do you feel anything, Jacen?"

While the Yuuzhan Vong were invisible to the Force, Jacen's extended captivity by them, in addition to the slave seed that had been implanted in him, allowed him to feel them with what he termed his 'Vong Sense'. But in this case, on this planet - he found himself unable to accurately judge the life forms around him.

"I can't tell," he admitted to his Uncle. "I'm sensing danger all around us, but I have been since Sekot first took ill." He shrugged helplessly. "I've got nothing."

"Well, we won't find out anything by hiding behind the trees," Luke reasoned. "Let's go say hi, shall we?"

"This one is ready for a fight," Saba hissed, tightening her grip on her lightsaber. "Let's go."

The four Jedi ignited their blades and rushed out into the clearing towards the ship. About halfway there, though, they stopped as a Vong coming out of the forest caught their attention. He was one that the Skywalker family in particular was intimately familiar with.

"Nom Anor!" Mara snarled. "Oh, my day just got a whole lot better!"

"Skywalker!" Nom Anor shouted in surprise, stopping short. "How many Jeedai must I eliminate before I get off this accursed planet!"

Luke's eyebrows rose at that, but otherwise he didn't let his feelings show. "It's over, Nom Anor. Surrender and tell us what you have done to Sekot."

Nom Anor grinned maliciously at the four Jedi as he stalked towards them. He pulled a coufee from his belt. "I think not, Jeedai! I believe it is you who will surrender!"

"You think we're going to surrender to you?" Mara scoffed. Nom Anor's grinned widened and almost as if on cue some sixty Yuuzhan Vong warriors emerged from every part of the clearing, encircling them all. Mara closed her eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

"Well, I did say I sensed danger all around us…" Jacen noted

"You were not kidding," Saba replied, a feral grin on her reptilian face. "This shall be a glorious battle!"

"It is time for you to die, Skywalker!" Nom Anor said confidently as his troops closed the gap.

* * *

Almost at the same moment Anakin, Corran and Tahiri arrived at the edge of the clearing. They stopped and looked at the large number of warriors advancing slowly on their comrades. Anakin frowned, then reached down to his belt and pushed the little blue button and a small red light began blinking.

"This isn't good," Corran said softly to the two. "It's possible we could defeat them all, but not before the planet is destroyed by whatever Nom - what are you doing?" he asked Anakin, seeing him play with a small device on his belt.

"Rigging the fight," he replied off-handedly, smiling slightly when the flashing red light turned to a solid green. "Perfect. Okay, here's the plan - stay right behind me and get ready to fight."

"That plan sucks," Tahiri said plainly. Anakin merely smiled.

"Trust me, it will work." Before either of them could say anything else Anakin strode confidently out into the clearing. Cursing, Corran and Tahiri followed right behind.

"It is time for you to die, Skywalker!" Nom Anor was saying. Anakin shook his head and sighed.

"You know, people have been saying that for years," he said loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Trust me, it never ends well."

"YOU!" the Executor screamed in shock.

"Me," Anakin agreed.

"But you're dead!" Anor protested. Anakin shrugged.

The four Jedi stared at the boy in shock - Saba most of all. But despite knowing that he was alive, to truly see Anakin in front of them now - Luke, Mara and Jacen were all equally stunned.

"Anakin…" Luke mumbled quietly.

"I got better." At the look on his face, Anakin laughed. "What can I say, Nomie? Maybe I keep hanging on hoping that you'll actually take me up on my challenge to you, instead of running away like a scared little bitch."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Tahiri couldn't help but let out a soft whistle. "Damn…" she added quietly.

Nom Anors' face twisted with rage. "You have overplayed your hand, Solo," he spat. "You think to challenge me here? You forget that we outnumber you! Why would I deign to accept your challenge, when my warriors can wipe you out in an instant? After all, there are sixty of us and only seven of you!"

Anakin let out a short laugh. "From what I heard, one of us took out a few hundred of you - and that was Ganner, of all people. I think we're more than a match for you." He paused, his smile widening. "But, then again, why take the risk? After all—you brought your friends," his grin turned wicked. "And I brought mine."

Suddenly there were twin flashed of light and when the white and purple energy clouds faded an instant later everyone stared in shock as two more Jedi stood before them. But while the Vong could only stare in awe and a little fear because of how the Jedi arrived, Luke stared in shock at who the Jedi were. Because on the right was the instantly recognizable, if somewhat younger looking face, of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And on the left stood the tall form of the man whose face Luke had only seen in person once - in the hanger of the second Death Star. For the person on the left was none other than his own father, Anakin Skywalker.

"Impossible," Luke whispered, but further protestations were cut off as suddenly flash after flash after flash of light and energy appeared all around them. More Jedi and strangely garbed young girls and men appeared. They were armed with what appeared to be wooden stakes and metal swords, one had a crossbow, while another had a hunters bow with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back, along with a long sword.

Tahiri stared in wide-eyed shock as person after person appeared and gasped as the last two people formed - one was a girl about her own age, maybe a bit younger with long brown hair, the other-

The other was Mara Skywalker, lightsaber lit in hand and a green hooded cloak upon her shoulders. The other Mara's eyes twinkled and she winked at her counterpart who could merely stare back in shock.

"Just like old times, eh?" Anakin Skywalker asked of his friend and sister. Buffy shot him a glance.

"What you mean when we were fighting droid armies, Palpatine was taking over the galaxy and my best friend became a Sith Lord and had my fiancé and about a quarter of the population of Corellia murdered? I hated those days."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed.

Anakin Solo stared at the shocked Vong and smiled. "Now, I'm only going to say this once. Surrender now and you will all be treated with honor." His gaze shifted to the warriors. "Fight us…"

"And we'll make you our bitches," Faith finished. The Slayers all snickered, while Buffy let out an exasperated sigh.

Anakin shook his head good-naturedly, then turned back to Nom Anor. "So what's it gonna be, Nom? Yes…or no?"

For a moment - just a moment, mind you - Anakin through Nom Anor might actually surrender. He was outmatched, if not outnumbered, and Anakin knew that he knew it. But then the familiar look of contemptible loathing sank back onto the Vong's face and he snarled.

"Kill them all!"

Anakin sighed even as he quick-drew his blaster and downed two Vong immediately. "Here we go…"

Chaos wasn't a kind enough word to describe the fight that broke out between the Vong shock troops, the Jedi and their newfound allies. FUBAR might be a more appropriate adjective. The Vong that were closest to the four surround Jedi attacked at once, but here battered away mercilessly by the four Jedi; that left the remaining Vong which numbered about thirty five, to attack the Slayers and the newly arrived Jedi. Wesley wasted no time in shooting the first one that came his way in the head with his shot gun, then continued to pump rounds into the crowd of alien warriors. Giles utilized a saber along with his own acquired magic to cut down the enemies that came into his path. And the Slayers - well, they were just having a ball, cutting loose like they never had before. Kate was dropping Vong warriors faster than Legolas could rip Orcs with her bow and when they came in to close she dropped the bow in favor of a long sword she pulled from a sheath on her back. Cassandra, in contrast, eschewed weapons; instead, favoring dropping the warriors with well-placed strike from her iron-like fists. She moved with a fluidity and grace that even few Slayers had - a result of a lifetime of training by a brutal father.

Anakin waded into the warriors, taking on two at a time with well-executed blocks and strikes from his lightsaber, constantly blocking every shot they took despite not sensing them in the Force. He found that a bit odd at first, since he had developed a 'Vong-sense' before his untimely departure from this mortal coil, but realized shortly that it had been the lambent crystal in his original lightsaber that had allowed him to sense the aliens. He filed that away in the back of his mind as he saw his brother tackled by a Vong and took off towards him, dispatching the two warriors he had been fighting with ease. The Cong was on top of his brother, its thick hands around his throat, trying to choke the life out of Jacen. Anakin jumped over the two of them, gracefully swinging his lightsaber in a downwards arc that cut cleanly through its head. Anakin landed and rolled, coming up to another warrior and splitting it in hale with another upward swing of his violet blade. He looked at his brother and smirked.

"You just gonna lay around there all day, big brother?"

Jacen put aside the unreality of the situation and smiled wryly. "Just catching my breath. Say, aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Don't you people check the mail once in a while?"

Luke found himself tiring, but he called on the Force to replenish his strength as yet another warrior took the place of the one he had just killed. He didn't notice the Vong coming up behind him until a spear of blue plasma hurled right past his ear and into its face. He killed his opponent just as the lightsaber - a very familiar lightsaber- was called back to its owner, and Luke could only stare in shock and wonder as his father nodded at him.

"I've got your back, Luke," Anakin Skywalker said. Luke could only nod in return as he turned his attention back to the battle at hand.

Nom Anor screamed in frustration as he pushed past his remaining warriors towards the transport. _This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!_ He thought furiously to himself. _These – creatures - shouldn't be here! His warriors should have killed the Skywalker family here and now! What -_ his thoughts were cut off as an armored fist slammed into his face, sending him crashing to the ground. He looked up and blanched at the site before him - a fully armored Mandalorian warrior. He knew of their reputation and had seen them fight. Indeed, early in the war he had hired the traitorous scum to do his dirty work, but when they had seen just what the Yuuzhan Vong had in mind of the galaxy, they had turned on him.

"You must be Nom Anor," the Mandalorian said in an accented, feminine voice. "See, I figured that out because you were the only _hut'unn_ trying to get away." With strength that surprised even him, the woman reached down with one hand and jerked him to his feet, then off his feet by a good two inches. She then laid into him with several left crosses. "I'd beat the crap out of you for no good reason, but considering what you did to my people - both of them - I think you earned an extra special beating." She drew back to hit him again and Nom Anor did the only thing he could do - he let loose with another blast from his plaeryin bol.

Joyce saw the blast impact against her helmet, but thought nothing of it. After all, her visor was treated specifically to resist acids. But to her surprise it started eating through the visor. Hurriedly she threw down the Vong Executor and tore off her helmet. Nom Anor scrambled back to his feat and drew a small holdout blaster and fired, but the blast impacted harmlessly against her chest plate. Cursing, Joyce kicked the helmet hard at the Vong. It got a glancing blow - which was lucky for Joyce, as his next shot grazed her cheek. Startled, Joyce dove for the ground, rolling to avoid his next two shots as Anor ran past her towards the ship. He had just reached the entryway when Joyce came up on one knee and pulled out her Model 500. The report sounded like a canon and literally tore the blaster out of Nom Anor's hand - along with his hand and most of his forearm. His screams of pain were silenced as the sphincter closed shut and the dovin basals awoke, sending the ship up into the air and the space beyond. Joyce screamed in frustration and kept blasting away at the ship, hoping to at least put a few holes in it that would vent atmosphere before they were out of range. Unfortunately she couldn't see how successful she was as within moments the ship was out of site.

As the battle finally ended around them, Anakin Sr. took a moment to look around and gauge everybody's immediate health. He was pleased to see that, aside from a few cuts and bruises, everyone was fine. Then the loudest noise he had ever heard caught his attention (and made his ears ring), and he turned to see Joyce firing impotently up at the retreating Vong craft.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Anakin Sr. called out to his niece with some worry in his voice. "Nice shooting, Tex!"

"Joyce!" Buffy's approach was more direct. "I think he got away."

Joyce angrily slammed the gun into her holster and glowered at her mother. "The _hut'unn_ actually managed to get me!" she exclaimed, pointing at her cheek. "And he ruined my _buy'ce_!"

"Women and their accessories," Anakin Sr. muttered, then blanched as all the women assembled turned to glare at the Jedi Master. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Master Qui-Gon always taught me to mind my surroundings," Obi-Wan said dryly. "Apparently, I never taught that lesson to you."

Their banter was cut off by the snap-hiss of a reactivated lightsaber and all eyes turned to Mara - both of them. For Willow's daughter stood looking at the blue blade of the other Mara's lightsaber which was held just under her chin.

"Hmmm…" she said dryly, her eyebrow arched. "I really should have seen this coming…"

"Shut up," Mara growled. She looked over at Anakin - the boy who claimed to be Anakin, at least. "Answers. Now," she demanded simply.

Anakin groaned. "Seriously, does nobody check the mail anymore?" he looked around, then back at Mara. "Aunt Mara, it's me! It's really me-"

"Prove it," she hissed. Anakin sighed.

"What, you want a blood sample?" he thought for a moment. "Or better yet, how about I tell you all about Dantooine - how you tried to teach me not to rely to heavily on the Force, how I had to defend you from the Vong because of how weak you were at the time?" Mara's eyes teared up, and she deactivated her lightsaber. The other Mara nodded and put her own weapon back onto her belt. Anakin turned to Jacen. "Want me to recount the argument we had in the hold of the Falcon on the way to Dubrillion? About our rolls in the galaxy as Jedi, when you barely beat me in that duel?"

Jacen smiled. "I seem to remember that win being rather decisive." Anakin scoffed.

"The Vong really must have scrambled your brains." Jacen snorted and Anakin turned to Tahiri. "Do you want me to tell you what we talked about, crammed into that equipment locker, with air running out?" He reached out and brushed away the tears that were flowing freely. "It's really me. I died, I was brought back. And now I'm here to help." He turned and looked to his Uncle. "These people who came with me have pledged to help us fight and end this war. You can trust them - after all, some of them are you." He looked pointedly at Mara, who deactivated her lightsaber. With that concluded he flashed an impish smile and turned back to Tahiri. "So, what'd I miss?"

Anakin Sr., Buffy and Dawn all groaned as Tahiri's eyes flashed. Suddenly, without warning, her hand shot out and smacked against Anakin's cheek hard. The impact spun his head sharply to the right and stunned him momentarily. He turned back to her, only to be slapped again.

"What did you miss? WHAT DID YOU MISS?" she slapped him again, eliciting a yelp of pain from the boy. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! FOR TWO YEARS, I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! I THOUGHT THOSE MESSAGES WERE SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE! ANE WHULE YOU WERE GALAVANTING AROUND-"

"I was hardly gal-" Another slap.

"WE WERE HERE, FIGHTING THIS WAR! I LOST MY MIND BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DID TO ME AND YOU WEREN'T THERE TO HELP!"

"Did you leave it on the nightstand?" Anakin attempted to joke, then quickly blocked another slap. "Ha-OWW!" His head spun to the left as her other hand impacted with the other cheek.

"Anakin, you idiot," Vi muttered. Jacen nodded in agreement and winced as the angry young Jedi delivered another slap.

"You know, anger is the path to the Dark Side…" Anakin tried. Ducking another slap. "Will you stop hitting me?! What are you trying to do, kill me again?"

Tahiri's composure, or what little she had of it, finally broke then and she collapsed, sobbing, into Anakin's arms. Anakin hesitantly wrapped his arms around the girl, even as a look of fear and trepidation settled onto his face. He looked over to the group of half amused, half stunned Jedi and Slayers with a look that clearly said 'Help!', but Anakin Sr. just smiled and shook his head.

"Son, you're on your own," he said. Buffy snorted.

"Good thing, too. 'Cause if you gave him advice, she'd probably end up sticking that lightsaber of hers up his kiester."

Both Maras looked at each other with a wry grin. "Young love," they said at the same time. Dawn shuddered.

"Great, now there are two of them…"

Vi looked at her mom. "You think you've got it bad? I have to take orders from her…"

Spike had been watching the reunion with amused detachment, but something caught his eye. He looked down in the valley at the tall, metal spires and saw energy crackling about them. "Not to be a killjoy," the vampire started, pointing to the spires. "But what the bloody hell is that?"

"Hyperwave antenna," Corran explained. "We caught Nom Anor messing around in there, but I'm not sure what he was doing."

"He sabotaged the planet," Anakin explained. "I saw Sekot when I arrived; he said he was trying to repair the damage…"

"I don't think it worked," Spike noted with a tinge of worry in his voice. The energy had gathered onto the tall spires, from tip to base and pulsed once before erupting outwards with a tremendous bang. Corran cursed and yelled "Hit the deck!" even as Mara threw up her hands and incanted in Latin. A bright, blue dome of mystical energy enveloped them all in the nick of time as a blast wave of fire and energy swept over them. It crashed into the barrier and Mara buckled to her knees with the strain of keeping the shield up. Finally the wave passed, leaving a leveled, charred landscape. The shield flickered and died and Mara collapsed to the ground. The other Mara went to check for a pulse when Anakin's panicked scream stopped her.

"Don't touch her!" Mara's hand jerked back and Anakin scrambled over to the doppelganger. He was joined shortly by Vi, who placed her hand on the unconscious woman's forehead. While Vi checked her over, Anakin looked at his aunt. "Never touch your double. I found that out the hard way."

"She's fine," Vi announced. "Just exhausted. Nothing a little rest won't…cure… holy shit!"

"Vi! Language!" Dawn started, then followed her daughter's eye line. "Holy shit!"

All eyes turned to the far sky, and to the most amazing site any of them had ever seen. Instead of the night sky, instead they saw the unnatural site of hyperspace streaking over head.

"And now for something completely different," Spike quipped.

"That's just wrong," Tahiri put in.

"Why are we in hyperspace?" Buffy asked.

"It was Nom Anor." All faces turned towards the new, yet familiar voice - and saw the visage of a young Anakin Skywalker standing there. Luke nodded in greetings.

"Sekot."

"Master Skywalker," Sekot replied, then looked to Anakin Sr. "You're not my Anakin, are you."

The elder Jedi shook his head. "No, I'm not. And you're not my Zonama Sekot. But despite all of this," he gestured to the bodies of the Vong warriors. "We do come in peace."

"And left them in pieces," Faith mumbled, earning a jab in the gut from Buffy's elbow.

"I'm afraid I was forced to make a blind jump in order to negate the effects of Nom Anor's sabotage," Sekot began. "I do not know where we are going or how long we will be traveling. But eventually we will come across another planetary body or gravimetric anomaly and will be pulled from hyperspace. Once that happens, we will set our course for Coruscant." Sekot paused, considering its words. "We are connected to the Yuuzhan Vong and they to us. How, I do not quite know - but I feel that I am close to discovering the reason." Sekot smiled. "I would recommend seeking shelter in the caves at the base of those mountains." He pointed to a massive range to the east. "Soon, because of our transit, the weather patterns will become dangerously unpredictable." With that, the image of the young Anakin Skywalker faded from view. Anakin Sr. Looked at his sister in bemusement, as the elder Slayer was still staring dumbly at the spot where the apparition had been.

"Never expected to be taller than me again, eh?" he mocked light-heartedly. Buffy scowled at him.

"You, shut up." She turned to Luke. "Don't suppose you got a ship or something…" At that moment, the Jade Shadow broke over the tree line and made their way towards them. "Never mind."

"I still can't believe you let Danni fly your ship," Jacen remarked. Anakin looked at his Aunt in shock.

"You're letting someone else fly your ship?"

Mara smiled thinly, then held up a small remote. "Actually, I have the autopilot set to come to me whenever I set this off." She chuckled. "I just wanted to make Danni sweat a bit."

"You sure you're not evil anymore?" Anakin asked in jest.

Mara's smile grew, but she said nothing as the group made their way towards her ship as it set down gently on the charred ground.

**TBC**

Mando Grammar:

_Hut'uun- Coward_

_buy'ce- Helmet_

* * *


	15. Chapter 15: Many Conversations

**Disclaimer:**

**See Chapter 1**

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my beta/editor Fallenstar2. As always, please review!

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 15**

**Many Conversations**

* * *

Mara groaned as she slowly returned to consciousness. "Easy, easy does it…" a voice said as she was helped into a sitting position. She blinked to see Vi smiling wanly at her. "You over did it a bit, Master."

"You think?" Mara glanced around at the large cavern. "Where are we? What's been happening?"

"We've taken refuge in a rather elaborate cave system due to the weather," Vi started.

"What's wrong with the weather?" Mara interrupted.

"The weather systems became heavily erratic once the planet entered hyperspace."

Mara blinked. "What?"

"Hyperspace."

"We're in hyperspace?"

Vi nodded. "Yes."

"The planet."

"Yes."

"The whole planet."

"Yes."

"In hyperspace?"

Vi sighed in exasperation. "What, are we playing Abbott and Costello? Yes, we're in hyperspace. The planet can travel through hyperspace, which we are in right now. Can I move on please?"

Mara raised an eyebrow. "Sorry."

"Anyway, Anakin's been making introductions and playing catch-up with everybody." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Between you and me, I think the blonde chick hates my guts."

Mara looked over at the group and picked out the young blonde Jedi immediately. With everything new Anakin revealed she seemed to draw into herself more and more. Mara looked back to Vi. "I believe that's Tahiri, right?"

"Yup."

"Anakin's girl?"

"Yup."

"She's probably not too happy about how close you are with him."

Vi nodded. "Yup."

Mara scowled. "You're just trying to annoy me now, aren't you?"

Vi grinned cheekily. "How am I doing?"

Mara staggered to her feet. "I'll kick your ass later."

"My mom would protect me," Vi argued, helping to steady her master.

"I kicked her ass, too."

"That's not what she said."

* * *

Anakin paused in his storytelling as Vi and Mara made their way back to the group. "Welcome back to the world of the living," he said with a small smile.

"Isn't that my line?" Vi asked, ignoring Tahiri's scowl.

Anakin waved a hand. "Details."

"What have I missed?" Mara asked.

"Well, we've had to take refuge in the cave because of the weather—" Anakin trailed off at the hard look Mara was getting. "Not in the mood, eh?"

Mara looked back at Vi. "Correction, I'm going to kick both of your asses."

Everyone chuckled at that. Jacen turned to his brother. "So, it took a year to heal and you've been training for the last six months?"

"Right," he replied. "I wanted to come back sooner, but…" he stole a glance at Tahiri. "Well, let's just say I have plans for when this war is over and I intend to see them come to pass."

Luke nodded, then turned to the others. "And what exactly is your part in this?"

"Junior over there," Anakin senior jutted his chin towards the younger Anakin, who scowled at the nickname, "gave us invaluable information about the Yuuzhan Vong, as well as tactics to fight them. We all decided that the least we could do is help him and his world out as much as possible." Anakin smirked. "Besides, we haven't had a good fight in years. I was getting bored."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "_Bizui_."

"_Shuh muh_," Anakin replied, totally unapologetic. Buffy looked over to Luke.

"This is what I had to live with most of my life."

"So what happens next?" the other Mara asked, eyeing her counterpart warily. "We have some supplies to last us for a while, but with this large of a group…"

"Spike and Angel will have the Watcher's Council send us more supplies, so that won't be an issue," Buffy replied. "Other than that, I say we take this time to rest and prepare. Our information may be a bit out of date, so if you can update us on the state of things, that would be appreciated." There was a brilliant flash of purple/white light and when it cleared several crates of supplies sat in the middle of the cave. "Courtesy of the Watcher's Council. Guaranteed in fifteen minutes or its free."

"Let's get this sorted and put away, then," Luke decided, rising to his feet. "Everybody get something to eat, no need to go hungry if there's an unlimited supply of food, I suppose."

Vi slapped Anakin on the back of his head lightly. "You eat, too."

"I was going to eat!" the young Jedi protested.

"Harumph," Vi said skeptically. "I know you, Junior. Sometimes you get so focused on accomplishing something, you forget the little things - like food and sleep." She wagged her finger in front of his face playfully. "I won't bring you back again if you're just acting stupid, got it?"

"Yes dear," he replied cheekily. Tahiri, who was watching the two interact, let out a shot sob, then bolted from the cave. Anakin watcher her leave and his face fell. "Aw, hell..."

Vi nodded towards the fleeing Jedi. "Go." Anakin nodded and took off at a sprint after her, calling her name all the while.

"Anakin!" Luke called out, but Buffy put a stalling hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine, just let them work things out," she said. The Jedi Master looked at her, then nodded reluctantly. "Trust me, he's been looking forward to seeing her since before he woke up. He'll bring her back."

Luke nodded again, then looked over at Vi. "And how do you feel about that?"

"Me?" she said confusedly. "Fine. Why?"

"It just seems that you two are close."

"Yeah, s - Oh!" Vi finally understood and she burst out laughing. Mara moved besides her husband and frowned.

"What's so funny?" she asked. "It's a perfectly valid assumption that you two are together."

"Oh, please," Vi protested. "Ani is like my older brother - annoying, overbearing and a bit of an ass." She paused, then grinned. "At least, that's how he always described Jacen." Luke choked back a laugh as Jacen looked at the young Jedi indignantly. Vi's grin grew wider. "And unlike some people here, I don't make it a habit of making out with my sibling." Mara burst out into laughter even as Luke's face reddened and Dawn spun around from the conversation she was having with her husband.

"VIOLET WILLOW JUKASSA!" she screeched.

"What?" Vi replied innocently.

* * *

"Tahiri!" Anakin shouted over the wind and pouring rain. "Tahiri, will you stop! Ri, come on…"

Tahiri spun around and lashed out with the Force, shoving a surprised Anakin to the ground. "Don't Ri me, Anakin!" Even through the rain, he could see tears streaming down her face. "I can't—I can't deal with this…"

Anakin slowly pulled himself back to his feet. "Tahiri, I know this is a lot to take in; and I know you've been through a lot…"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" she screamed at him. "You don't know what I went through… with the Yuuzhan Vong, with Riina… I GRIEVED FOR YOU! And when I saw that holo, I couldn't…I kept telling myself 'it wasn't real, it wasn't real', because, stupidly, I thought if you were alive, you'd come back to me! Or at least that I would feel you…but now you're back, with that…little tramp…"

Anakin couldn't help himself. He laughed, loud and long. At Tahiri's murderous look, though, he settled down. "Ri, when I first met Vi, she was a little eight-year-old, precocious girl. While I only spent a few months with her, she spent years in another dimension. She's like a sister to me hell, she asked me to be her brother! There's nothing romantic there!" Anakin quickly closed the space between them and gently grasped her shoulders. "I came back for you. The first person I thought of was you. I wasn't blowing smoke in those messages home; I love you, Ri. And all those plans I have, that future I've planned? It's with you." He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, then pulled back once more. "Only you," he finished quietly.

With happy tears now in her eyes, she reached up and pulled his mouth back towards her own.

* * *

Luke stared worriedly at the entrance of the cave as the others moved around him, sorting out the newly-arrived supplies.

"He'll be fine, you know," Anakin Senior said as he set down a crate of MRE's and popped the lid open. "He's a tough kid, just like his grandmother probably was."

Luke nodded thoughtfully, a thrill passing through him at the prospect of knowing more about his mother. _But it wouldn't be my mother, would it?_ he thought to himself._ Just as this Anakin is not my father. But still…_

"You can ask, you know." Anakin's said, pulling out one of the protein bars from the ration pack.

"Ask what?" Luke hedged.

"Well, you can either ask how a people as advanced as we are, who can travel between dimensions," he paused, took a bite from the bar, then grimaced as he swallowed it, "can produced he galaxies crappiest MRE's." He looked at Luke with a piercing gaze. "Or you can ask the real question that's been on your mind."

"Why didn't you fall?" Luke asked after a moment's silence. Anakin sighed.

"Yeah, Junior told me about my counterpart here," he said, sitting down on a crate. Luke followed suit. "And I can't help but be a little angry at myself for falling for Palpatine. But at the same time, I, too, was falling into Palpatine's trap - but I had something that your father probably didn't have." He glanced over Luke's shoulder and the younger Jedi turned to see Buffy in deep conversation with Dawn and Zett.

"Her?" Luke asked, nodding at the blonde. Anakin nodded.

"I know you understand that, while I am Anakin Skywalker, I'm not your Anakin Skywalker," he started. "The differences between us started when I was just a slave boy on Tatooine. Buffy had been sent into my dimension while saving her sister's life; she had been captured and sold into slavery herself. She eventually ended up in the hands of my Master, Watto, and my mother and I accepted her into our family.

"When the Jedi came to our planet, they were escorting the royal Queen of Naboo, Amidala. Their ship was damaged and they were being hunted. I managed to help them acquire the parts they needed to fix their ship and, in return, the Jedi Qui-Gon negotiated for the release of myself and my sister. Stuff happened - that's a whole other story," he chuckled, thinking about his ill-advised flight during the battle of Naboo. "But suffice it to say that Obi-Wan took me as his apprentice at Qui-Gon's last request. Buffy demanded to come with me and she was begrudgingly accepted into the Order."

"We lived together, we trained together," he continued. "She kept me grounded, kept me from getting too big of a head. I was an arrogant little sod, as Spike would say, but she never let me get away with it. I believe that would be the second thing that differentiates me from your father."

He paused, thinking back. "During the Clone Wars, we were separated most of the time. I went on missions with Obi-Wan and she went either with her master, Mace Windu, or on her own. She was trapped on Corellia for several months and nearly left the Order. As for myself, I ended up spending a lot of time with Chancellor Palpatine." He leaned in close to Luke. "Buffy never liked him. She had the best sense of his true nature of all of us, but nobody ever really paid attention to her dislike. That was our undoing. When she was around, she did everything she could to keep me away from him; but when she was gone, he was always the one I went to for advice when I couldn't ask Obi-Wan." He smiled wanly. "He could be very charming back then."

"He would have had to been, to become the Emperor," Luke reasoned. Anakin nodded.

"He told me a story, once, of a Sith Master who discovered the secrets of how to keep people from dying. Eternal life, the ultimate temptation." He laughed mirthlessly. "At the time, I was desperately searching for a way to keep Padmé alive. I had a vision of her dying in childbirth and it scared me. I didn't realize until much later that Palpatine must have subtly influenced the Force and sent me those visions."

"Why didn't you just ask the other Jedi for help?" Luke asked. "If the same thing happened to my father, why didn't he? Why not ask Obi-Wan?"

Anakin sighed. "Luke, the old Jedi Council expressly forbade marriage. Any attachment of any kind was frowned upon, but marriage without extenuating circumstances and the express permission of the Council, was seen as the ultimate abandonment of the tenants of the Jedi and any Jedi found to have been breaking that rule were excommunicated immediately. I met Padmé for the first time on Tatooine…"

"Padmé is my mother?" Luke asked. Anakin stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"I suppose you don't have much information on your family, do you?" he asked.

Luke shook his head. "No," he replied. "I knew your name, but I never knew who my mother was."

"Padmé Amidala - yes the same Amidala," Anakin explained, "former Queen of the Naboo, former Senator for Naboo to the Old Republic. During her queen days, she would disguise herself as one of her handmaidens - that's how I first met her." He laughed. "Bit of a shock when I found out the girl I had a crush on was a queen."

"I would think so," Luke replied with a smile.

"Anyway," Anakin continued, "I saw her ten years after the battle of Naboo and fell in love all over again. After the battle of Geonosis, we decided to marry in secret. No one knew, save Artoo and Threepio."

"Artoo-Deetoo and See-Threepio?" Luke said incredulously. At Anakin's nodded, Luke laughed. "You must be joking! Leia had those droids with her back when… well, back before I even met her!"

"Artoo was a droid on Padmé's starship back when I first met her. And I built Threepio." He smiled. "I was always good with machines." Both men wined, thinking of what he had ultimately become in this universe. "Yeah, a bit ironic."

"So the droids were the only ones who knew you were married," Luke prompted after a moment. Anakin nodded.

"We kept it secret. Your father probably kept it secret until the very end; as for me." He nodded at Buffy again. "Buffy has always had exceptional foresight. She saw what would happen to me if I fell for Palpatine's lies and confronted me." He absently rubbed his jaw. "She set me straight."

"So she made sure you never became Darth Vader." Anakin winced. "What?"

"There was a very brief - but destructive - time where I was Darth Vader. Palpatine had a second apprentice of sorts, a woman called Darth Traya. She was a friend of Buffy's who fell to the Dark Side, but was also a very powerful witch. She put a compulsion spell on me to make her follow her will. But again, Buffy came to the rescue and defeated her, ending the spell." He sighed. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about what I was forced to do."

"But he was only Vader for a day," Buffy put in, dropping gracefully besides her brother and giving his knee a gentle squeeze. "Palpatine created another Vader, using a clone of an old Jedi 'Master'," she used her fingers to emphasize the quotes, "a schmuck named Jorus C'Bitch…"

"C'baoth?" Luke asked.

"You've heard of him," Anakin said, glancing at his sister. "Calm down, or you'll scare the kids," he said to her.

"We'd met," Luke said dryly. He looked to Buffy. "I take it you didn't like him?"

"Jorus C'baoth was an arrogant, egotistical, sexist jackass who thought the universe revolved around him and the only regret I have about his original death was that he took the whole of Outbound Flight with him."

"Anger is of the Dark Side, Buffy," Anakin teased.

"Bite my shiny metal lightsaber, bean-pole," Buffy shot back.

Anakin leaned in towards Luke. "As you can see, the names Vader and C'Baoth are very touchy subjects for us."

"I never would have guessed." He looked at the two and the easy byplay that was on display. "So, family was the key?"

"Attachment," Anakin corrected. "Buffy's attachment to me and mine to her. My love for my wife, our children, our friends - all of that played a part." He held up a warning finger. "But I never forget that Palpatine tried to use those against me. I remind myself of that everyday and try my best not to let my attachments turn into my obsessions."

"Plus, he knows if he goes Dark, I'll kick his ass," Buffy put in.

"There is that," he agreed. Luke smiled, then glanced up as he sensed his two wayward Jedi reentering the cave. There was an air of contentment, of peace between the two; the bond they had once forged seemed to be renewing itself, strengthening with every step they took.

"Welcome back," he told the two lightly, with only a hint of reproach in his voice.

"Sorry about that, Master Skywalker," Tahiri said demurely. "It's just…"

"It's been an overwhelming day, for all of us," he agreed. "Jut don't venture too far outside the cave, at least until the weather calms down somewhat. Okay?"

"Yes, Master," Tahiri replied.

"No problem," Anakin agreed. The two moved further into the cave back towards where Jacen was sorting through some crates. Luke smiled, then sat back down by the elder Anakin. "So," he began, "what can you tell me about my mother?"

* * *

Anakin and Tahiri walked back to the corner of the cave and sat down against the wall. Jacen was sorting through several crates, while Vi was sitting opposite of them, reading a book. Anakin raised an eyebrow at that.

"What did they send us?" he asked his brother.

"Food, medical supplies, weapons." He held up a wooden stake. "Not exactly a lightsaber."

"Just as effective," Vi said absently.

"Did they send reading material as well?" Anakin asked.

"No, I brought this with me," Vi replied.

"You brought a book to a battle?"

"Yup."

"A book."

"Yup."

"To a battle."

Vi looked up, annoyed. "You sure do like repeating yourself, don't you?"

"Where, in the middle of all of the fighting, did you expect to have time to sit down and read a few chapters?"

Vi sighed. "I knew I would be stuck here for a while, since I know if I left to go back home you'd probably find some new way to die. So I brought this to keep me entertained."

Anakin chose to ignore the glare Tahiri was sending his friend and Jacen's pale face. "You know, I liked you better when you were an annoying eight-year-old."

"And I liked you better when you were in a coma," Vi replied, once more not looking up from her book.

Anakin just shot her an annoyed look, then turned to Jacen. "So, I hear you came back from the dead, too."

"Yes," he replied quickly, trying to hide his discomfort at the turn of the conversation. "But mine was a metaphorical death."

Anakin shrugged. "Well, mine was medical." He grinned. "Guess it's true, then."

"What's true?"

"Anything you can do, I can do better…" Tahiri let out a gasp even as Vi chuckled behind her book. The blonde Jedi glared at the younger girl.

"It's not funny!" she growled.

Vi waved her off. "Please. I thought it was hilarious."

"How can you think death is funny?" Jacen asked.

"Not death, coming back from the dead," Vi clarified. "Grow up in my family and resurrections aren't really a big deal. Two of my Uncles are vampires, Aunt Buffy was resuscitated after drowning and technically dying, even Aunt Willow, who died years ago, still shows up as a Force ghost." She looked at Tahiri. "He died, we brought him back. He's healed, healthy, and has come home. It's a happy ending, hence we can laugh about it all."

"And if he hadn't come back?" Tahiri asked.

"Then I would have been one with the Force," Anakin finished, taking her hand. "I would have watched over you from beyond." He gave an impish grin. "Wouldn't have been too much of a chore when you were in the shower…"

"Anakin!" Tahiri screeched, blushing furiously. "How can you think of that at a time like this?"

"Ri, I've spent two years fighting off hormonal teenage girls. And for two years, in my more private moments, that's all I thought about."

"Just in the shower?" Vi asked wryly.

"Shut up and read your book," Anakin snarked. Vi snickered, but fell silent behind her book again. Anakin gave Tahiri a quick peck on the cheek. "Love you." Tahiri giggled, then leaned into him.

"You're a dope," she said quietly.

"So I've been told," Anakin replied.

"Many, many times," Vi put in.

"Anything good to eat?" he asked Jacen, who tossed over an MRE. "Anything _good_ to eat?" he emphasized.

"What's wrong with these?" he asked, taking a healthy bite out of the protein bar. To Anakin and Vi's amazement, he swallowed without complaint and proceeded to finish off the bar. He looked at them with amusement in his eyes. "I was a prisoner of war for over six months. Do you think this is worse than anything I had to eat then?"

"And you had to eat my mother's cooking, so stop complaining," Vi put in.

"I thought you wanted to read?" Anakin said in an exasperated tone.

"I'm multi-tasking," she replied glibly. Anakin sighed and looked at his brother.

"Was I that annoying when I was younger?"

"No," Jacen shook his head, then grinned. "You were worse."

Tahiri snorted in laughter and Anakin looked at her crossly. "Traitor."

He glanced back up at Jacen, then shivered as a memory of the vision passed through his mind. He didn't see Jacen in his dark flight suit; instead he saw him in a solid black uniform and cape, his red eyes glowing…

"Little brother?" Jacen was saying, a worried expression on his face. "Anakin? Are you okay?"

"Ani?" Tahiri said softly, snapping him out of his reverie. Vi was watching surreptitiously over her book.

"Anakin, what happened?" Jacen asked in concern.

"Nothing… nothing," Anakin replied after a moment. "Just some bad memories all of a sudden. I'm fine." He smiled weakly. "So, Jacen - what do you plan to do when all of this is over?"

Jacen didn't seem too convinced, but he decided not to push it. "I'm not sure," he said at length. "I've thought about traveling, learning more about the force from other Force-using cultures." He paused as Vi scoffed behind her book. "What?"

"There's a difference between knowledge and wisdom," she said.

"Come again?" Jacen asked, a slight biting edge to his tone. Vi sighed and put down her book.

"I said, there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Look, there are dozens of cultures in the galaxy that use the Force, but aren't Jedi. They all have different abilities, different skills. I met some of them while training with Mara. And Mara told me straight out - I could spend a few months with them and learn how to do those tricks, but just because I know how to use them doesn't mean I know when I should use them."

"I'm not sure I follow," Jacen said, leaning in.

"Let's say I know a new form of the mind trick," Vi started. "It's much more powerful than your standard Jedi mind trick and the Jedi don't teach it. But I know it and am willing to teach it to you. And I do. And with this trick, you can easily slip into restricted areas, glean information from enemy targets and generally use it to save lives and do good. But it's power and it's addictive. And you want more and more. So you start to use it for little, everyday thing, then bigger things and then one day you use it to impose your will on some girl and force her to have sex with you."

Jacen was shocked and disgusted. "I would NEVER do that!" he argued. Vi just shrugged her shoulders.

"Like I said, power is addictive. And the more you use the power, the more you want to use it, until it changes who you are inside. You see, just because I taught you how to do the trick, doesn't mean I explained in detail the side effects. I would have spent decades learning about the power, whereas you only spent a few months." She fixed a piercing gaze on him. "Knowledge acquired without experience is dangerous and possibly deadly. You gained knowledge, but didn't gain wisdom. So congratulations, you've just become this galaxy's next Sith Lord."

Everyone was silent for several minutes before Jacen spoke again. "So you're saying I shouldn't learn anything at all? Ever again?"

Vi shook her head. "I swear, all Solo men are as dense as neutronium. No, I'm saying that if you want to study different Force cultures, the first thing you should do is _study different Force cultures!_ Go to the archives, do some background research on them. Ask a Master, get their opinion. Gain wisdom about the culture before you dive in to the culture itself."

"What she's trying to say in the most confrontational way possible," Anakin shot her a glare. Vi stuck out her tongue in reply. "Is that you should go to Earth first. Their council has the complete Jedi archives, as well as a number of Masters from the Old Republic who have spent their lives studying the Force."

"All of you are welcome there," Vi added softly. "Consider it an open invitation."

Jacen sat back against the wall. "It certainly is an appealing offer. I mean, a chance to delve into the actual Jedi archives…"

"It's incredible," Anakin agreed. "I spent many an hour studying in there. And Master Starstone was a godsend - she trained under the head of the Archives in the old Jedi Temple."

"I'll definitely consider it." He smiled. "I know Mom would be relieved to know that I'm safe, at least." At the amused glanced that Anakin and Vi shared he asked, "What?"

"Well, between the hormonal teenage girls and the apocalypses… or is it apocalie?" Vi shook her head. "Well, let's just say you be as safe as if you were riding in the _Millennium Falcon_ - with Anakin at the helm."

"I wasn't that bad," Anakin grumbled.

"Yes you were," Jacen laughed. "What about you? What are you planning when this is all over?"

Anakin leaned his head back against the cool rock. "Well, believe it or not, I thought about settling down. Maybe build a farm, grow stuff, marry my childhood sweetheart…" he gazed lovingly down at Tahiri, who gazed back with surprised eyes. "I told you I loved you. Did you think I wasn't going to follow through?"

"I-I guess I just hadn't thought about it," she lied. In truth, it was a thought that had been occupying her thoughts ever since she saw the first holo. If he came back, would he want her? Could they have a life together? Apparently, they could.

"What about being a Jedi?" Jaen asked curiously. "As I recall, you were the one who wanted to be more active. It sounds to me like you're taking a pacifist attitude now," he concluded without reproach.

Anakin shrugged. "Dying has a way of making you see where your priorities truly should lie. I think when this is all over, I'm going to concentrate on living… and I think I'll be hanging up my lightsaber for good." He sighed. "I just don't want to fight anymore."

Jacen nodded thoughtfully and Vi went back to her book. Tahiri laid her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes; within moments she had fallen asleep. Not soon after, Anakin joined her.

* * *

Buffy had left Anakin to talk with Luke and had made the round among the Slayers. She stopped in front of Faith and stared in amusement; the Dark Slayer was lounging on several crates listening to her iPod.

"Iron Maiden?" she asked loudly, drawing her sister Slayer's attention. She paused the music and pulled out the ear buds.

"Johnny Cash," she replied. "He's got a great voice."

Buffy nodded. "I was always fond of 'A Boy Named Sue'. Fun song."

She lifted the iPod. "'Folsom Prison Blues'. It's my song, yo."

Buffy chuckled and set down on the ground, putting her back against the crates. Faith eyed her. "So, what can I do for the White Knight?"

Buffy groaned. "God, is that what they call me now?"

"Well, you go around killing things with a big, shiny sword, and never step out of line. Even all these years and all these battles later, you still got a myth around you, B. If you spent more time with the girls…"

"Faith…"

"If you spent more time with the girls…"

"FAITH."

"If you spent more time with the girls, you'd be able to relate to them better! God, B, what's the problem with that?"

"Faith, I've been a Jedi now longer than I was ever a Slayer. When I came back I told you, those are your girls to lead."

"You could lead them, too."

"I wouldn't know where to begin," Buffy admitted.

Faith sighed and rolled onto her side. "You know what your problem is?"

"No, but I'll bet you're going to tell me."

"Your problem is that you are a straight-laced, by the book, never-break-a-rule-because-you'll-go-all-evil sod. In short- you've turned into Giles." Buffy snorted in mirth. "Face it, you've become a Watcher! B, you gotta learn how to have fun again. Go out to clubs, be spontaneous…"

"I'm married," she reminded Faith.

"So, bring him with you!" Faith exclaimed. "You have to remember - just because you are in charge doesn't mean you have to distance yourself from everyone else. Sure, it hurts every time a Slayer dies - but I know they are in a better place, so I deal with my grief and move on. No going evil, no getting out of control." She smiled wryly. "Bit of a change from my reckless youth."

"We both handled that badly," Buffy admitted. "I should have tried harder."

"I should have tried, period," Faith replied earnestly. "Don't sweat it, B."

"So, you think the girls would accept me? Without worshipping me or anything?"

Faith laughed quietly. "Let them spend some time with you and the myth will go away. They'll like the real you." She paused for a moment. "Just don't go off on a lot of long winded speeches. They hate that."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Buffy replied dryly. "So, if I'm the White Knight, does that make you the Dark Knight?"

Faith laughed out loud this time. "God, don't tell that to Andrew or he'll make me a costume!"

"With pointy ears and a cape," Buffy agreed, and the two broke down into peals of laughter once more.

**TBC**

* * *

Ancient Corellian(Mandarin) Translations:

_Bizui- Shut Up_

_Shuh muh- I'm Sorry_


	16. Chapter 16: Family Reunions

**Disclaimer:**

**See Chapter 1**

**A/N:** Special thanks as always to my beta/editor Fallenstar2. As always, please review!

**A/N 2:** For ease of reading and for the sake of my sanity, Willow's daughter will now be known as Mara Jade; the Mara from Anakin Solo's universe will simply be known as Mara. Thank god she was the only one I used; I originally had ALL of the main characters crossing over at the same time. Oh, and who can guess who Cassandra is supposed to be based off of?

**A/N 3:** Parts of this chapter will be taken from The Unifying Force by James Luceno

* * *

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 16**

**Family Reunions**

* * *

The next morning, Anakin was awoken by a gentle shake. Groggily he opened his eyes to see Vi smiling down at him.

"Morning, sunshine!" she said cheerily.

"Bite me," Anakin mumbled in return.

Vi shook her head. "Nah, Blondie would get jealous. Up for some sparing with the rest of the team?" she indicated the Dawn Patrol behind her, who were in the middle of stretching.

"No run today?" Anakin asked. Vi shot him a look.

"Have you been outside? It's a freakin' monsoon!"

"A freaking monsoon, or a Gorilla Monsoon?" Anakin asked cheekily. Vi blew out a frustrated breath.

"Stupid wrestling fans. I blame Xander for that…" with that, she turned and headed back towards the girls. Anakin gently nudge Tahiri through their bond, and she blearily opened her eyes.

"Wassa?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes. Anakin chuckled and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'm going to go spar with the others and I need my arm back. For the moment, anyway."

"I'll spar, too…" Tahiri started, moving to stand up. Anakin stopped her with a touch to her arm.

"Not this time, Ri. This isn't like any sparring sessions we had back on Yavin. They can get pretty intense."

"Are you saying I couldn't handle it?" Tahiri challenged, a glint in her eyes. Anakin shook his head.

"I know you could, but I'd rather you see what you'd be getting yourself into first. Okay?" Tahiri reluctantly nodded and Anakin gave her another kiss, this time on the lips. "Whatever you do, don't try to interrupt us. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Fine," she groused, as Anakin rose and made his way over to the girls. He immediately began to stretch and took the opportunity to turn his back to Tahiri to speak privately with Vi.

"What the hell was that last night?" he hissed.

"What was what?"

"Don't play coy with me, I know you too well," Anakin shot back. "That little speech you gave to Jacen. How-"

"We share a bond, you and I," Vi started, taking extra time to stretch her back. "Developed from the long, hard hours I spent curing you of dying. It's not as…intimate…as the bond you share with Blondie," she smirked slightly, but the smile quickly passed. "But it's enough for me to catch flashes, images from you. Especially images of your brother gone the way of Darth Vader."

"Yours or mine?" Anakin tried to joke, but Vi's expression was set in stone.

"Either. I've heard stories of C'baoth - he nearly drove Buffy to the Dark Side, and my mother got incredibly lucky when she beat him." Her eyes bored into his, even as they continued to loosen up. "That was your vision, wasn't it? The one that got you to stay?"

"Part of it," Anakin admitted. "Vi, NO ONE knows about this, got it? No one can know, no one WILL know. It's up to me to stop it from happening…"

"Wrong," Vi interrupted. "It's up to us. You, me, Tahiri, Buffy - all of us." She stopped moving long enough to poke him in the chest. "No more secrets, got it?"

"Yes dear," he replied, a ghost of a smile upon his lips.

"Good. Now, let's go get our asses kicked."

Tahiri frowned as Anakin and the brown-haired girl - Vi, she remembered, got into a rather intense argument. Maybe she was being ridiculous, but despite his reassurances, she still couldn't help but be a little jealous of the younger girl.

"You can relax, you know," Tahiri started, then glanced to the side as Buffy came up besides her. Another Jedi – Dawn - was with her, looking over at the small group as they finished stretching. Tahiri blushed.

"Am I being that obvious?" she asked. Buffy gave her a reassuring smile.

"A bit," she admitted. "Don't worry about it, Tahiri. Really. You were the only girl he ever thought about."

"Much to the consternation of all of the other Slayers," Dawn put in with a grin. "He was the one guy they couldn't get into bed."

"You two just need to spend some more time catching up," Buffy stated. "In the meantime, don't worry about your broadcasting. I used to feel the same way about one of my old boyfriends."

"Was he older?" Tahiri asked.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy admitted

The three watched as the Slayers formed a ring around Anakin and Vi, who were now standing back to back. Buffy leaned in close to Tahiri. "Whatever you see, remember: they've been doing this for nearly six months. He's training to take down stronger opponents hand-to-hand and we have three people here that can heal almost any injury in minutes using nothing but the Force." Before Tahiri could ask what Buffy meant, the Slayers attacked the two Jedi as one.

* * *

Punch. Kick. Block. Repeat. These are the motions Anakin went through nearly every day for the past six months with these girls. He remembered the first day - despite knowing what he did about Slayers, he hadn't expected them to be too much of a threat. Between what little physical combat he had learned at Yavin and the Force, it should have been a very simple manner to take them down, even when they all attacked at once.

Less then two minutes later, he awoke with a massive headache to the laughing eyes of Vi, who was leaning over him and healing his fractured skull. From that moment on, they went just a little bit easier on him and he took them much more seriously. Everyday they would start out with a run, then move into the gym for sparing. The team would surround Anakin and Vi, then just attack - no planning, no strategy, just plain attacking. Dawn, who oversaw most of the sessions, reasoned doing it that way best simulated the chaos of battle.

Tahiri winced as Anakin took a solid blow to the jaw that spun him around. Anakin used the momentum, though, and swung a backhanded blow into Kate who was rushing him from behind. Vi flipped Molly over her shoulder towards Cassandra, who sidestepped the oncoming Slayer. Cassandra then dodged Rona whom Vi had sent sprawling towards her and let out a yawn.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" Vi asked irritably. Cassandra nodded, then unleashed a flurry of attacks that Vi barely managed to block. "Ha-omph!" Vi gasped as Cassandra landed a solid blow into her stomach, then reeled from a kick to her head. Anakin came to her defense, but was almost immediately knocked on his butt by the slinky Asian warrior.

"What's going on?" Luke asked, his tone curious but firm. Buffy could tell he wasn't too pleased to see a fight going on, especially with the beating Anakin was taking.

"Sparring session," Buffy explained. "They do it once a day."

"He's good," Mara noted as Anakin skipped up over a sweeping leg, then took down Kate with a snap kick. She winced as Cassandra landed yet another blow. "She's better. Are you sure she's not a Jedi?"

Dawn shook her head. "I've tested her four times. Being a Slayer gifts you with physical grace and increased stamina and strength, but she's something else. Trained from very early childhood to be a warrior."

"Her father was a sick bastard," Buffy put in. Dawn nodded.

"She never learned to talk. We've been trying, but its slow going." She nodded towards the group. "This is her language."

"I can empathize." Mara said, sadness tinged in her voice. Luke put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Buffy glanced over at the former Hand and nodded.

"You really can."

"What's going on?" Jacen asked, coming upon the group. By now, everybody had come to watch. Joyce leaned against a wall and pouted.

"Wish they would have woken me up…"

"Sparring session, apparently," Luke winced as Anakin landed a solid blow to Rhona's face. "Still not too sure I like this."

"The only way he can learn to take down someone who's bigger and stronger than him in every way is to face someone or something similar. Slayers can take a lot of punishment…"

"Yeah, but he can't," Jacen protested as Anakin was pounded in the chest by Kate. "I'm ending this," he decided, moving towards the group.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Buffy warned, but made no effort to stop him. Jacen ignored her warning and came up to the group. "Enough!" he called out, reaching towards Anakin, who had been knocked outside the circle of girls…

And Anakin, still running on automatic, spun around and punched Jacen squarely in the nose. Jacen collapsed to the ground, his eyes closed and his nose bleeding.

Anakin blinked, then looked down at his brother. "Jacen, you idiot! TIME!" he called out. The girls immediately stopped fighting to see what the problem was and Vi groaned.

"Are all you Solos this incredibly dense?" she demanded rushing to the fallen Jedi's side and placing her hands on his head. Force energy flowed out in silky ribbons, mending cartilage and healing bruised bone. Anakin shrugged his shoulders.

"It's debatable," he admitted.

"Just the men," Joyce argued.

"I told him he shouldn't do that," Buffy said. Dawn looked over at her.

"You could have stopped him," She pointed out. Buffy scoffed.

"Like Joyce and Vi said, Solo men are incredibly dense. He needed to learn by example."

Luke watched in fascination as Vi healed Jacen's injuries. He had studied the Force healing techniques that were on the data card sent months ago and had used them in a limited fashion on Gilead Palleon. But to see those art used effortlessly to se such power wielded so naturally - it was amazing and humbling - it showcased exactly how much had been lost during the purges and how far his Jedi still had to go.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Anakin Sr. said from behind Luke. "I've been studying this stuff for years now and I can't do it even half as good as Violet. She's a natural."

"How long has she been able…"

"All her life, practically," Anakin finished. "When she was a baby, if she'd get a cut or scratch, it would just heal itself. The older she got, the easier it became for her to heal other people. It takes a lot out of her, and she feels a portion of their pain, but she does it anyway."

Luke smiled. "She's a special girl."

Anakin nodded. "Indeed."

The light from Vi's hands faded and Jacen groaned, awareness flooding back into his senses. "Jacen," Vi started, looking directly into his eyes, "Can you hear me?"

Jacen tried to push his head further into the rock floor. "Do you have to look so close?" he asked.

"I've always wondered the same damn thing…" Anakin muttered. Vi ignored him.

"I'm checking your eyes to see how well they respond. I want to make sure you don't have any more head trauma."

"That's why you're always peering down at me after you heal me?" Anakin asked. Vi looked at him and nodded. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"You never asked," she replied simply. "Plus, I loved freaking you out." She turned back to Jacen and walloped him smartly on the side of his head.

"Ow!" he protested. Vi scowled at him.

"And I hope you learned your lesson, jumping half-cocked into the middle of a sparing session! Next time, I won't heal you! _Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung…"_

Dawn shot a look at her sister. "I blame you for that," she said, indicating her daughter's language.

Buffy shrugged. "What are Aunts for?"

* * *

Over the next several days, the group of Jedi and Slayers fell into a routine of sorts - though Vi spent several hours locked in the Jade Shadow after asking her mother 'Are we there yet?' several times over an hour. In the mornings the Slayers spared with Anakin and Vi, after a few days Tahiri and Jacen joined in. Both picked it up surprisingly fast, though both figured it was just their extended exposure to the Yuuzhan Vong that helped.

The first world Jedi spent most of their time with Saba, Luke and Mara, discussing the old Jedi Order and their teachings. At times Danni joined the conversations, fascinated and excited about the chance of learning bout a real parallel dimension. Sekot appeared a few times, though it was still preoccupied in trying to fix Nom Anor's sabotage. Two weeks into their journey, Zonama Sekot was finally pulled out of hyperspace. After a few hours of determining their position and plotting a course of multiple jumps to lessen the damage to the planet, Zonama was once more traveling through hyperspace.

It was during one of the lulls, after a sparing session that Vi finally decided to corner Tahiri.

"So, tell me…" she started, perching on a rock while Tahiri dried the sweat off of her body with a towel. "Why exactly do you hate me so much?"

Tahiri didn't even glance at her. "What make s you think I hate you?"

"The pure joy you felt in trying to break my jaw was my first clue," Vi replied glibly.

"Sorry."

"No you're not," Vi countered honestly. "You're still jealous of me, despite what he told me, aren't you?"

Tahiri finally glared at the girl. "Ani's a sweet boy who likes to save me. Even from the truth, sometimes."

Vi sighed. "You two were made for each other," she muttered under her breath. "Do you have any idea how much he loves you?" she asked. "At all? Anakin and I share a very deep connection, Tahiri. One forged while I was trying to save his life. I remember the first subconscious thoughts he had when I was healing them. Do you know what they were about?" Tahiri remained silent. "You. Always you."

"When he woke up, one of the first people he asked about was you and he didn't really begin to relax until we found out what happened to you. He spent nearly two years surrounded by hormonal teenage girls who were left, in Faith's terms, 'hungry and horny' after every slaying session - and never once did he take advantage of it. One of the Slayers did actually ask him out, but he turned her down, saying he was waiting for someone back home. That someone was you."

"Anakin's the brother I'll never have. That's all I want him to be. And even if I wanted a," she shuddered dramatically, "relationship with him, I would never try, because I know that his heart will always belong to you."

Tahiri sank down to the floor, tears running silently down her cheeks. She looked up at the other girl. "I really mean that much to him?"

"Absolutely," Vi responded firmly, sitting next to her and wrapping a comforting arm around her. "He's crazy about you."

Tahiri let out a choked laugh. "Or just crazy."

"Well, that too," she agreed.

"I'm sorry I've been such a bitch, it's just been… you know, so much…"

"You know, with all that's been going on, I think people tend to forget we're still kids," Vi reasoned. "It's harder for us to sort these things out than adults sometimes, since we just don't have the experience." The two continued to talk, being watched unknowingly from across the room by Anakin and Jacen. The two girls laughed together and Anakin gulped audibly. Jacen frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Anakin glanced over at his older brother. "My best friend/surrogate little sister and my best friend/girlfriend are now getting along. What about that isn't wrong?"

"For them, or for you?" Jacen asked with a smirk.

"For me," Anakin ground out. At Jacen's quiet laugh, Anakin pouted. "Oh, shut up."

* * *

Nearly a week later, Han and Leia Solo were sitting in the Mon Calamari offices of the new Chief of State Cal Omas, discussing their disastrous mission to Caluula when Admiral Kre'fey entered with an unreadable expression on his face. Cal looked up in surprise.

"Admiral! I thought you were still out with the fleet!" he said, rising from behind his desk. The Solo's rose as well and nodded their heads in greeting.

"I was, but I felt it best to deliver this information in person." The Bothan glanced at the Solo's. "I'm glad you're hear, Princess, Captain. I'm hoping you can explain some of this."

"Explain what?" Han demanded.

"We believe we know why the Vong recalled their fleets to Coruscant." Kre'fey proceeded without any further preamble. "It would appear," he cleared his throat. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it would appear that a… a planet," he forced out, "dropped out of hyperspace in the Coruscant system 3 days ago. According to reports, it's created widespread chaos and dissent amongst the Shamed Ones and upper castes on the surface of Coruscant, as well as massive seismic shifts. The Vong fleet has pulled back to Coruscant, but have made no move to attack the… mystery planet." He shook his head. "I should point out this is all coming from rather grainy images and second and third-hand reports, but as all reports have been similar, I cannot come to doubt that what I'm reporting is the truth." The Bothan looked at the Solo's. "I need to ask - is this the Jedi's doing?"

Han and Leia looked at one another. "Your brother?" Han asked.

"Who else?" Leia replied.

* * *

Events started moving faster after that meeting. The Solo's soon received a transmission from the _Jade Shadow_, where Luke and Mara briefly summed up their situation (not mentioning Anakin or the Jedi from an alternate universe), and invited Han, Leia and the other Jedi to the planet for a more in-depth conversation. Luke assured Han it would be safe, despite the Vong armada's presence in the same system. And so Han, Leia and several other Jedi set off for Coruscant in the _Falcon_, followed by the _Errant Venture_ and several more Jedi in their starfighters. They took the long way to avoid any Yuuzhan Vong engagements, and within three days entered the Coruscant system. They made their way through the outer part of the system, flying through the asteroid belt and slipping behind the cratered rock of one of the most distant planets to avoid detection for as long as possible. All too soon, though, the massive form of Zonama Sekot became visible.

"Coming into visual range," Leia said. Han began to edge the _Falcon_ out from behind the asteroid. "Let's have another look at those charts." Leia called a map to the display, showing Coruscant's system of planets, sunward from Revisse to the OboRin comet cluster. The coordinates Luke had sent placed Zonama Sekot on the ecliptic, in orbit between Coruscant's Rimward brethren, Muscave and Stentat, at approximately ninety degrees to Coruscant.

"Unless the navicomputer agrees with me about this being a crazy mission, we should be seeing it soon," Han said.

Leia pointed out the wraparound bay. "There." Han sighted down her finger, far to starboard, to a gibbous green planet. "Well, it's sure no moon."

"Or Death Star," Leia said.

With a squeaking of joints, C-3PO entered the cockpit. "Excuse me, Princess Leia and Captain Solo, but I wondered if I might view with my own photoreceptors our destination." He motioned behind him.

"Mistress Cilghal would also like to see the living planet." The Mon Calamari healer wasn't the only Jedi on board. Kenth Hamner, Waxarn Kel, Markre Medjev, and several others were in the forward compartment.

"We should probably let Luke know we're here," Han said.

Leia turned to the comm board. "_Jade Shadow_, this is _Millennium Falcon_," she said. "Just wanted to let you know that we're in the neighborhood."

Luke's voice issued from the cockpit annunciators. "Leia! Welcome to Zonama Sekot."

"Luke, Han here. I'm not imagining this, right? I mean, that's really a planet I'm seeing and not the aftereffects of being bitten by an amphistaff?"

"Zonama Sekot is every bit as real as the _Falcon_, Han."

"It's beautiful," Leia said.

Luke laughed lightly. "I wish you could have seen it before all the hyperspace jumps we've been forced to make."

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Han said. "How 'bout giving us some landing instructions?"

Luke fell briefly silent. "Han, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave the _Falcon_ in synchronous orbit."

Han showed Leia a puzzled look and muted the mike."The pollen must be affecting him." He reactivated the mike. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm dead serious," Luke said. "Booster's going to have to do the same."

"Luke, a Star Destroyer I can understand," Han said. "But if this is about suitable landing platforms, I've parked the _Falcon_ inside asteroids."

"It has nothing to do with that. Sekot refuses to allow warships on the surface."

"But we're a freighter!"

"Sorry, Han."

Han worked his jaw in annoyance."I don't like it, but I'll do it if I have to. Who's this Sekot, anyway? The governor or something?"

"Sekot is the planetary consciousness."

Han blinked. "Say again, _Jade Shadow_. I thought I heard you say planetary consciousness."

"Han, I told you I'll explain everything when you're planet side."

"Luke, in case Sekot hasn't noticed," Leia interjected, "the Yuuzhan Vong armada is so close we can practically touch it. They also have battle groups orbiting Muscave, Stentat, Improcco, and The Covey."

"Sekot has parried the Yuuzhan Vong before," Luke said. "I'm guessing that Shimrra knows this. That's why the armada is staying put - for the moment."

"It's been a while since they met," Han said. "Maybe the Vong have forgotten."

"Not as long as you think, Han. Besides, Zonama Sekot can go to lightspeed if it has to."

"Yeah, well, you'd better tell this Sekot to keep the hyperdrives idling, 'cause after what almost happened at Mon Calamari, I don't know that anything can stop the Yuuzhan Vong now." He fell silent briefly, then muttered: "Well, there is one thing-"

"We may know a way," Luke cut in.

Han blew out his breath. "I hope you're right, Luke. But how're we supposed to get planet side from stationary orbit? We can't just jam everyone into the escape pods."

"You won't have to. In fact, your transport should be visible to the _Falcon's_ scanners just about now."

Leia and Han watched the display screen. Shortly a vessel that might almost have been Yuuzhan Vong grown came into view. The ship's lobed, faintly luminescent hull was made up of six oval modules, smooth as skipping stones and seamlessly joined. Knife-sharp, the leading edges of the modules glowed with what appeared to be organiform circuitry. Han whistled in amazement.

"The waiting list for those things must be a kilometer long!"

"The pilot's name is Aken," Luke said. "Her ship will accept your cofferdam as soon as you're ready to extend it."

* * *

From the moment Leia stepped from the pulsing multicolored cabin of the Sekotan ship and beheld the sight of her son, her brother, her sister- in-law, and so many friends, some of whom she hadn't seen in almost a year, and all of whom were standing against a backdrop of incredibly tall and wondrous trees, her heart skipped a beat. She felt like a child again. Even from the air Zonama Sekot had appeared more fantastical than real; a world of red and green-leafed trees, shimmering aqua lakes, and cryptic mountain ranges. The wounds the planet had sustained through its several hyperspace jumps - its "crossings"-were obvious and numerous, but they were surface blemishes and couldn't impair the planet's aching beauty.

This far from Coruscant's primary, Zonama Sekot should have been frozen, but Luke had explained that Sekot was keeping the planet warm from within. Leia didn't know whom to embrace first. But since Han had captured Jacen in a wampa hug, she went straight to Luke and Mara throwing an arm around each of them and tugging them to her.

"There were times I thought I'd never see you again," she said, her eyes closed in joyous relief. No sooner had Leia let go of them than Jacen was in front of her, smiling enigmatically.

"Mom," he said.

For a moment Leia was too spellbound to move. She stared at Jacen as if he had manifested from a dream. He stepped into her open arms and allowed himself to be held for much longer than he ever had. Leia finally let him go, but only to arm's length. She stroked his cheek with her right hand.

"You look changed, Jacen - more than after your time on Coruscant."

"I _am_ different," he said. "Zonama Sekot has matured me. And," his smile turned broad, "We've had a few…interesting turn of events here. Mom," he looked to Han, "Dad… there's someone else who would like to say hello." He turned to look over at a group of strange people that, in the happiness of their reunion, Leia had completely overlooked. They were a decidedly odd lot- some dressed as Jedi from the Old Republic days, some in more… tight-fitting outfits. The majority of them were young girls, barely older- if not as old- as Jaina-

And standing in front of them, in an old, battered CSF jacket and wide brimmed hat, his hand sin his pants pockets, was Anakin.

"Anakin?" Leia whispered, barely daring to hope her youngest had finally come back to them. But Anakin lifted his hands to his side and shrugged.

"Well, I'm back."

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17: Origin

**Disclaimer:**

**See Chapter 1**

**A/N:** No, you're not imagining it. You've kinda read this chapter before. But I was never happy with it, and its part of the reason I haven't been able to continue. So this is Chapter 17, re-written, and it will be followed next week by Chapter 18.

**The New Jedi Order**

**Chapter 17 **

**Origin**

**Soundtrack: The Map Room: Dawn (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

* * *

**

"Anakin?" Leia whispered, barely daring to hope her youngest had finally come back to them. But Anakin lifted his hands to his side and shrugged.

"Well, I'm back," was all he needed to say and Leia screamed "ANAKIN!" and rushed the young Jedi, enveloping him in a long, smothering hug. Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes as Anakin finally hugged his mother, his real mother, for the first time in nearly two years, all the while whispering, "It's me, I'm back. I'm really back…" and trying to calm the hysterical mother down. Everyone had stopped at Leia's exclamation and looked on the mother and son in surprise and shock. He let go after a long minute and smiled at her, then turned to his father.

"Hey, dad," he started, but got choked up at the sight in front of him. For possibly only the second time in his life, Anakin saw his father crying openly. Without a further word, the two embraced fiercely, Han wrapping his arms around his son and squeezing as if to ensure that, no, this wasn't a hallucination, it wasn't a dream, or some imposter - his son had come back to him.

"I'm so sorry…" Han was saying over an over, even as Anakin was ensuring him he had nothing to be sorry for. When they finally parted, Han let out a wet laugh and straightened Anakin's hat.

"Nice hat," he remarked. Anakin laughed at that. "What?"

"I'll tell you later," Anakin promised, even as he was nearly bowled over by Jaina. "Oooph! Jeeze, Jaina! A little warning, next time!"

"Oh, shut up!" Jaina grinned as she looked over her younger brother. "Took you long enough."

"Well, you know…traffic was a bitch." They both laughed and embraced once more.

"It's good to see you again, little brother." Jaina sniffed. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

"Wild bantha's couldn't keep me away." Jacen moved over to them and Anakin put his arms around their shoulders, and Jaina was surprised to see that her little brother was now as tall as them.

Kyp, separating himself from the rest of the newly arrived and stunned Jedi, moved over towards Luke. "Master Skywalker…what…"

"Certain events have transpired, which I'll be explaining to everyone tonight," Luke assured the young Jedi Master. "Trust me. Let everyone finish saying their hellos, and we'll move over to the campsite to talk. All of us."

* * *

The hellos transpired in a rather orderly, if enthusiastic, manner; but the arrival at the campsite brought with it a whole different series of feelings. There was curiosity at the strangely clothed younger girls, a sense of wonder at the traditionally-garbed Jedi of the Old Order- and confusion at the sight of two Mara Jades talking to one another. Confusion turned to alarm when Luke introduced the taller, sandy-haired Jedi garbed in darker clothes as Anakin Skywalker.

Kyp looked the older man over. "So… you're Darth Vader," he said with open contempt. "Kill anybody today?"

"Day ain't over yet." Anakin replied coolly. "Kyp Durron… yeah, I heard of you. Destroy any star systems today?" Buffy groaned and shook her head as Kyp took a menacing step forward. "Better watch that temper of your, Kyppie. I'd say you should ask your brother about anger management tips, but-" he was cut off as Kyp, losing all semblance of control, hauled off and slugged Anakin. The elder Jedi fell back onto the ground, momentarily stunned. He shook his head to clear it, then slowly rose and regarded the other Jedi. "You feel better now? You got that out of your system? Good. Now, listen up, son."

"I'm not-"

"Shut up," Anakin said it quietly, but the power behind the words caused Kyp's voice to falter. "I am not Darth Vader. Not now, not ever. I'm not the man who fell to the Dark side and terrorized a galaxy. I'm just another Jedi who has come to help you save _your_ galaxy. So take a deep breath, center yourself, and push the anger you feel at my counterpart out of yourself, because I. Am. Not. _Him_." With that, he gave a small nod to Luke before turning and walking back to his group. He'd scarcely made it to them before Buffy slapped him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"That was for being a jerk back there."

"That was your metal hand."

"Boo-hoo, Chosen One."

The two made to move back towards their group, but came to a halt before Han and Leia. Buffy coughed lightly. "Well, this isn't awkward at all…"

"When we first saw the holos, I must say that I was, at the very least, trepidations about you helping our son," Han stated. "Darth Vader was a blight on our lives for years, and has hurt us both personally more than once." He indicated himself and Leia. Then he took a breath and held out his hand. "But you aren't him. So thank you for bringing back our boy."

Buffy smiled as Anakin shook the old smuggler's hand. "It was my pleasure. You both raised a hell of a son."

"We like to think so," Leia said. After a moment's hesitation, she gave Anakin a gentle hug. "Thank you."

Buffy smiled at Han. "Bet that hurt."

"Sister, you have no idea." Buffy snorted.

"Mother, actually." At his look, she shook her head. "Ask me when this is all over."

"Don't ask her. Spare yourself," Anakin pleaded lightly, only to be slapped in the back of his head again. "Oww."

* * *

Things started to settle down, and soon the younglings were offloaded from the Errant Venture to Sekot's surface. A rudimentary camp was set up, and soon the Jedi were catching up amongst themselves, making up for the time they had been apart. Anakin stayed close to his family (and Tahiri, who scarcely left his side). One by one, his fellow teammates from the doomed Myrker mission came over to greet him personally, until finally Kyp came over. Anakin grinned at the older Jedi.

"You gonna punch me, too?" he joked.

"Are you actually who you say you are?" Kyp challenged.

Anakin laughed. "Yeah, it's me Kyp. For real." He smirked. "My counterpart is about ten years old right now.

"But I thought you were dead!" he exclaimed. Anakin shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Anakin grinned at Kyp's stunned expression. "Come on, let's get everyone together and I'll explain what's going on." Kyp took a seat, and Anakin noticed everyone else had settled down. Buffy gave him a nod. "Okay. I'd like to thank you all for coming…"

"I came for the beer!" Faith called out, causing laughter among the Slayers. Anakin shot her a look.

"That was Faith, ladies and gentlemen. She's here all week." More laughter. "Well, I'm sure you all have questions…"

"Just a few," Zekk said dryly. Anakin smiled.

"Well, let's start from the beginning. I AM Anakin Solo- _your_ Anakin Solo. And nearly two years ago, during the Myrkr mission, I died. I burned myself out and became one with the Force. But there was another person who had become one with the Force several years ago and, through means and reasons that are much to fantastical to get into right now, she managed to send me to their reality." He indicated Buffy and the others.

"Anakin," Master Cilghal interrupted, "If this being, as you said, could send you back, why didn't it send you to us? Why send you to another reality?"

"Two reasons. First, because they haven't faced the Yuuzhan Vong yet. And with me there, I could provide them with valuable intel about their tactics, their weapons, their paths of attack. With my knowledge, they could devise new weapons and tactics, and potentially save billions of lives. Second- I was clinically dead. While it would have been possible to revive me through conventional medical means, where in the New Republic could I have gotten it? Coruscant was falling; the New Republic was in full retreat. Meanwhile, the Jedi of Earth have members who are extremely adept at using obscure Force techniques to induce healing. Especially one very precocious eight year old, who saved my life more than once." He glanced over at Vi. "She was so cute, too. But then she grew up." He smirked as the girl stuck her tongue out at him. "Quite frankly, if I had been sent back here I'd either be dead, or still healing and more than likely crippled for life."

"So this…being…sent you to them," Kyp repeated. "You've been healing since then?"

"Mostly," Anakin relied. "It took me nearly a year to get back to my full strength; after that I spent six months training with them." He nodded to the Slayers. "No offense to you Uncle Luke, but physical combat training was never as much of a priority at the Praxeum. But when you're fighting beings like the Yuuzhan Vong, knowing how to fight could save your life better than a lightsaber could."

He looked at the girls incredulously. "They're a bit young, don't you think? Ho much could they possible teach you about fighting?"

"Son, I've forgotten more about fighting than you'll ever know," Faith practically snarled. Buffy had to put a calming hand on her shoulder to keep her seated.

"They're older than I was at Myrkr," Tahiri reasoned, but Kyp shook his head.

"You are a Jedi, these girls… I don't feel the Force that strongly in them." He looked evenly at Faith. "No offense meant, young lady."

"That's because they are not Jedi," Anakin explained. "But they are warriors. On Earth they are called Slayers, and they routinely go against threats that are bigger and stronger then themselves. They'll do fine against the Vong."

"And a lot of these girls have been protecting my home world since they were even younger," Vi added. Kyp scoffed.

"That might be fine for your more…mundane threats," he said, ignoring her glare, "But they've never taken on the Vong." He looked her over briefly. "And aren't you a little young yourself to be out here, little girl? You got a name?"

The corners of Vi's mouth perked up slightly and she flung out her arms theatrically. "Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition!" By now, most of the other Jedi were stuck between amusement and disbelief; Tahiri and Anakin were doing their best to not laugh. Kyp just stared at the young girl dumbfounded as she continued. "The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me Vi."

Kyp blinked. "Are you completely insane?" he asked. Vi wagged her eyebrows comically.

"Given my family history, that is a distinct possibility."

Dawn stared at her daughter in amusement. "Violet, what have I told you about annoying Jedi Masters?"

"'Don't'," Vi quoted, and her mother nodded. "But Aunt Buffy says I should always take the time to annoy arrogant, patronizing, misogynistic jack-asses," she added sweetly. Kyp's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull in indignation and Anakin and Tahiri finally laughed out loud, as did several other Jedi where were still listening. Dawn merely smiled and gave a pointed look at Kyp.

"My daughter has been trained by some of the best, and though I worry, I accept the fact that she will someday be on the front lines," Dawn stated. "And no offense, but I would prefer to have her watching my back than most of the Jedi I've seen over here."

"Plus there is the fact that she's about the same age I was when I lead the Myrkr mission," Anakin pointed out.

Kyp's eyes narrowed, but finally he slumped and sighed. "Very well."

"Don't act like an ass," Faith said. "You don't think we can handle this? Force or no Force, I could take you down in under five minutes. Buffy," she jerked her thumb at the blonde slayer, who was watching from afar, "could do it under two. That girl," she pointed to Cassandra, "could kick your ass in under a minute, without breaking a sweat - and that was before she was called as a Slayer." She smirked. "We'll do our job. Just make sure you don't kick trying to do yours. Cause unlike B or Anakin, I doubt you'd come back."

* * *

It was with a fierce sense of determination that Alexander Harris, General in the Rebellion, Admiral in the New Republic fleet, and founding Scooby Gang member stepped onto the bridge of the _Mystery Machine_, the last Venator-class Star Destroyer left in service and his personal flagship. He was met at the lift entrance by Commander Juno Eclipse, one of the last of the original Rebels still serving in the fleet.

"The ship is at stand-by, and all hands are reporting ready for departure," she announced crisply.

"And the men are willing to do this?" he asked. Juno gave a curt nod.

"The men have little love for Fey'lya, or his anti-Clone legislation," she conferred. Borsk, leading a contingent of New Republic senators, had introduced several laws over the years that limited or eliminated basic human rights for the surviving Clone soldiers. Most of the harshest of the laws had been blocked by Padmè and other fair-minded senators, but there were enough that saw the Clones as the soulless killing machines of the Empire to ensure some success for Fey'lya. As a result, all of the clones had been more than willing to disobey a direct order from the Senator to come along on this mission.

"And you?" Xander asked quietly. "It's more than likely that, no matter what the outcome, if we come back it will be to the stockade."

"My career is at an end, Admiral," Juno replied with a wan smile. "Besides, if we survive this mission- which is doubtful, I might add - I'd more than likely retire to Earth. Buffy always said I'd do well in London."

Xander nodded, and the two made their way to the center of the bridge. Xander jumped down into the communications pit and signaled the officer at the station. "Give me 1MC." There was a pause as a tone sounded throughout the ship, alerting the crew to an announcement. "This is the Admiral. In a few moments, we will violate a direct order from the Senates' Armed Services Committee, and will be jumping this ship to another dimension to take part in a final offensive against the Yuuzhan Vong. We do this for a number of reasons- to help our comrades, who have fought and bled along side us so many times in the past; to gain knowledge of an enemy that we too will have to soon fight- but mostly because it is the right thing to do. This fleet exists to provide assistance to those who need it, and to fight the threats that threaten to destroy us. And make no mistake, the Vong are a threat in any dimension, and must be defeated at all costs.

"You have all volunteered for this mission and for that I thank you. But I must warn you - the threat we face is more powerful, more destructive than anything you have faced previously. We may not make it back alive. But if we die I want each and every one of you top know that it has been the greatest honor of my life serving amongst you. And know that if victory could be measured in heart or sheer tenacity, than there is no doubt that we will win the day!

"This ship has seen a lot of history. She has fought in a lot of battles. Do not fail her, and she will not fail you. Stand by your shipmates, stand to your duties. All hands, prepare to jump; set condition one throughout the ship. All sections report in with readiness reports."

One by one each department called in, stating that they were ready. Finally, Juno looked to Xander and said, "All departments report ready for jump, Admiral. Ship is at Condition One. We are ready to jump at your word."

Xander grinned. "Commander, the word is given."

* * *

On board the Star Destroyer _Ralroost_, Admiral Kre'fey was reading the latest tactical reports when suddenly an alarm blared through the ships' speakers. Almost immediately afterwards a voice came over the com. "_Sound general quarters! Red Alert! Admiral Kre'fey to the bridge!"_

The bothan frowned, then keyed his personal com unit to the bridge. "Kre'fey to bridge. How the hell can you have a red alert in the shipyard?"

"_Sir, someone is stealing the Mystery Machine!"_ The voice replied. Kre'fey's frown deepened. _Surely he wouldn't…_

"I'm on my way."

* * *

Kre'fey entered onto the bridge minutes later, and noticed at once the small, triangular form of the ancient Venator-class Star Destroyer moving swiftly out of the rows of ships to the entrance of the yards.

"Status of the _Mystery Machine_?" the Admiral asked one of his subordinates.

"I'm reading a massive energy spike in her drive. I believe she's preparing to jump."

"Alert the Orbital Defense Platforms. Authorize the use of Ion Cannons to disable that ship." He turned to his helmsman. "Engage a pursuit course."

"Aye, sir!"

The _Ralroost_ immediately broke free of her moorings and moved to intercept the aging Star destroyer. One of the brand new Star Destroyers, the _Ralroost_ boasted sublight engines that were three times faster than the ones on the _Mystery Machine_. Kre'fey knew that his ship could move to tractor beam range before the Mystery Machine could jump.

_But Admiral Harris knows that, too. _ He thought to himself. _So what could his game be…_His brow furrowed in confusion as the _Mystery Machine_ banked hard suddenly, swinging its massive bulk around so that the bow was now pointed directly at the _Ralroost_.

"He's moving to attack position!" his second in command sputtered in stunned disbelief.

"His weapons aren't powering up…"

"He's not going to attack, he's going to ram us!" Kre'fey realized with a sinking feeling in his gut.

"He's bluffing."

"Alexander Harris doesn't bluff!" Kre'fey shouted as the older Star Destroyer loomed in the bridges viewports. "Evasive action!"

Sound doesn't travel in space, and yet space seemed to fill with the disbelieving shouts over a multitude of coms from various ships as the two Star Destroyers drew closer to one another. Finally the _Ralroost_ banked hard to port even as the _Mystery Machine_ banked hard to starboard. And as the two vessels passed one another with a scant few meters between them, the _Mystery Machine_ disappeared in a flash of light as it jumped away. The resulting displacement wave washed over the _Ralroost_, buckling armor plating, shorting out systems, and disabling the ships drive system. The _Ralroost_, pride of the New Republic fleet and top of the line Star Destroyer, began a lateral spin as it drifted uncontrollably throughout the dock as rescue craft were launched immediately to capture the ship in tractor beams, lest it ram the complex. On the bridge of the crippled ship, Admiral Krey-Fey sighed in defeat.

"Someone get me a channel to Fleet Command." He gave a small mirthless laugh. "While I'm glad he managed to stick it to my cousin, I wish he could have done it without damaging my ship."

The subordinate nodded. "He's got to be the luckiest Commander I've ever seen."

Kre'fey snorted. "Indeed," was all he said.

* * *

"Well, now that we're all here," Luke started, looking around at the assembled people, "we need to chart a course of action. Zonama Sekot has agreed to help us end this war, but it will be up to us to start the process."

"Master, if I may ask," Kyp started. "How exactly will Sekot help us? What is its purpose in all of this?"

"An excellent question, young Master Jedi." All heads turned to the new arrival and Mara Jade gasped as her mother stepped out of the shadows and into the fire light. No, not her mother…

"Sekot," she reasoned. Willow/Sekot nodded once at the red headed Jedi.

"I felt this form would be more comforting to our visitors from far away and less confusing for everyone," she said.

"It's an improvement," Buffy accepted.

"Don't lie, Sis. I know you're upset that you aren't taller then me anymore…" he flinched as she hit him hard in the arm - with her metal hand. "Ouch," he said dryly.

Before Sekot could continue, there was a bright flash of light as a PPG was activated. Several Jedi, startled by the event, rose and ignited their ligthsabers towards the event. The portal faded to nothingness, leaving a slightly harried looking Xander behind. The young General looked down at the glowing ligthsabers that were pointed under his chin, then looked up towards their owners. "A little off the top; but keep the sideburns, please."

"It's okay, he's with us!" Anakin called out. "He's Admiral Xander Harris of the New Republic fleet, he's here to help." One by one the ligthsabers winked out and Xander exhaled loudly.

"Thanks, Junior. I really didn't feel like a shave today…"

"What's the word?" Buffy asked without preamble. Xander ambled over and dropped besides Joyce.

"The word is you got my ship. And my crew. And that technically, we're now deserters." He shrugged helplessly. "Mr. Ed is blocking any and all efforts for us to provide assistance."

"Mr. Ed?" Luke asked. Buffy sighed in annoyance.

"A rather racist nickname for a Bothan Senator named Fey'lya," she explained, shooting Xander a look.

"I am not racist," he protested good-naturedly. "I hate all politicians, regardless of other issues."

"Good to know," Leia said dryly.

"So our assistance will be one Star Destroyer, its fighters and soldiers, and us?" Buffy asked. Xander gave her a wan smile.

"Makes you feel good, doesn't it?"

"If we play this right, that may be all we need," Mara Jade said suddenly, pulling away from a quiet conversation she had been having with Sekot. The apparition nodded.

"Mara Jade has agreed to assist me now."

"Assist with what?" Luke asked.

"Telling my history," Sekot replied. Mara Jade breathed slowly, centering herself and acclimating her body to the well of power Sekot possessed. Once she felt she had control, she let the magic pour forth. The fire suddenly went out, and above the pit formed a holographic illusion of a solar system. Many of the Jedi gasped in shock at the seemingly casual display of power; Dawn moved to sit besides the witch even as Xander exclaimed "Ooh! Visual aids!" and grabbed some proffered candy out of Joyce's hand.

Harrar, the Yuuzhan Vong priest, started at the image in wonder. "I recognize that!" he exclaimed. "It is our home system, where all Yuuzhan Vong came from!"

Sekot nodded. "Many millennia ago, the Yuuzhan Vong were a peaceful race, content to live off - and in tune with - the land." The image shifted and massive warships suddenly appeared, bombing cities. The scene shifted to the ground where Yuuzhan Vong, absent of any scarring or ritualistic tattoos, were slaughtered by an unknown enemy. "And then the invaders came, intent on our total destruction. For the first time in their history, the Yuuzhan Vong were forced to fight." Now the Vong were wearing the familiar Vonduun crab armor and carrying their amphistaffs, and the invaders were being killed. "After many years of bloodshed, the Yuuzhan Vong drove their enemies' away and declared victory." Sekot paused. "But peace was not to be. For the Yuuzhan Vong had tasted battle, and found that they liked it. All too soon they began to war amongst themselves, destroying countless lives- and their very world." The scenes shifted as rapid as Mara Jade's breathing was becoming, showing image after image of bloodshed and destruction. Dawn laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and Mara Jade relaxed slightly.

"Soon, their home world was near-uninhabitable. And so they began to build the worldships to carry them across the void, in hopes of finding a new home. And their planet - Yuuzhan'tar, sent forth several seeds across the void, in hopes of creating new life in the face of its own destruction." Sekot held her head high. "I was one of such seeds." The images faded and Mara Jade collapsed into Dawns' arms, totally spent.

"So in a way - you're Yuuzhan'tar," Anakin finished. Sekot nodded.

"In a way."

"So why are they still fighting?" Jaina asked. "Why are they attacking you? If you're a part of their history… the very thing they've been seeking…"

"But it's not," Harrar interrupted. "Past Overlords were content to tell our people that we would find a new home, and rebuild the glorious Empire we once had." Harrar coughed suddenly, the injuries of the past few weeks catching up to him. After a few moments, the coughs subsided. "Shimrra promised us glory beyond glory. Not just a new world, but a new galaxy to remake into our image, as twisted as it has become. He will not rest until this galaxy is ours- or every single one of us is dead." Harrar sighed. "As long as Shimrra lives, there will be no peace."

There was a collective silence, before Buffy spoke. "So... I guess that means we get to kill another evil Emperor bent on galactic domination."

Anakin Sr. glanced over at his sister. "What do you mean 'another'? I seem to recall I did all the work last time."

"Your son did all the work - as did my mother," Mara said tiredly. "You, as I recall, were too busy nearly bleeding to death on the floor…" Anakin just waved his had dismissively.

"So we gotta kill the big guy," Faith said bluntly, hefting the scythe. "What are we waiting for?"

"It's not that simple," Kyp scoffed. At her glare, he pressed on. "First, we have to get past the outer defenses of the Vong fleet, which are formidable. Then we'll have to navigate through a maze of Dovin basal mines that can tear a ship apart. And after that, it gets better! We'll have to worry about any air defense they may be flying, and the ground forces they have surely placed."

"Not to mention those Slayer things…" Han put in. At Buffy's sharp look, he clarified. "Some kind of genetically altered Super-Vong."

"Great," she said dryly.

"I don't suppose you can use those portal devices to get us directly on the planet?" Luke asked. Xander shook his head.

"No, unfortunately. They need to be calibrated precisely- and due to Coruscant's shift in orbit, our calculations are no longer current. And we have no way of getting the measurements we need until we are actually on the planet itself." He shifted uneasily. "But I do have a really bad idea on how to get planet-side."

"At least you're honest," Luke said with a smile.

Xander took a deep breath. "We use the Raptors."

There was a pause and plenty of confused looks on both sides. "I have no idea what that is," Luke stated.

"Neither do I," Buffy admitted, looking to her oldest friend. "Xander, what did you let Andrew build?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds!" Xander defended. "He took the F-22 Raptor and modified the design for space fleet use. They come equipped with heavy armor and armament, and comes equipped with a mini jump drive," he said with an uneasy smile. "That way, you can jump form orbit here into the upper atmosphere and miss the bulk of their defenses."

"That's impossible!" Han exclaimed. "You can't travel through hyperspace that close to a gravitational body…"

"But it's not hyperspace, not exactly," Xander explained. "Your hyperdrives work by opening a small tear between the fabric of this reality and one directly beneath it. But the realities are so close together, navigational impediments like black holes or planetary bodies interfere, and you have to travel on very precise paths. Our jump drives bypass that by using a combination of magic and technology to open a portal from one point in space to another, either in the same dimension or between dimensions. Ergo, all of the normal problems associated with hyperdrives are non-existent."

Buffy looked over her friend carefully. "You have but-face," she said suddenly, causing all eyes to turn to her. She glanced at her brother, who was staring at her in disbelief. "What?" she said. "It looks like he's about to say 'but…'!"

Anakin Sr. shook his head. "And they made you a Master before me…"

Buffy made a face. "That's because you were too busy whining about how unfair your life was, emo-boy."

Anakin looked down on her patronizingly. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you from all the way down there. Could you speak up?"

"Can you read sign language?" Buffy shot back, giving him the finger.

Before Anakin could respond, Obi-Wan cut in. "Now children," he started with a twinkle in his eye. "If you two can't behave, I'll be forced to separate you."

The two Jedi Masters looked sheepishly at the crowd. "Sorry," they said together.

While the Slayers and other first-world visitors were used to the byplay between the two, the other Jedi stared on in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Jacen spoke for everyone.

"That was just disturbing."

"Try living with it," Anakin Jr. and Vi both said simultaneously. They looked at one another, then snickered.

"So was that," Jaina added to her older brother.

"You were saying, Admiral Harris?" Leia put in diplomatically. While she had long ago accepted what her father had done - and learned to forgive him, by extension - she wasn't quite sure what to make of this version of Anakin Skywalker. Or how to deal with it.

"Yes, well..." Xander continued, clearing his throat. "The Raptors, you see, are still pretty new. And we're still testing them. And they've shown a propensity, when the jump drive is engaged… to, well…explode," he finished lamely.

Buffy blinked. "We're gonna explode? I don't want to explode!" she protested.

Anakin nodded. "I'm with her. I already died once, I don't want to do it again."

"Anakin!" his mother admonished, horrified.

"Mom, if I don't joke about it, I'll go insane." He replied, looking back at his mother. For the first time, Leia saw the depths of pain and fear in his eyes, the knowledge that a stroke of luck was the only reason he was here today. She nodded slightly and squeezed his shoulder gently in a gesture of comfort.

"It only happened once," Xander assured them.

"How many tests have you run?" Buffy demanded.

"…Three," he admitted after a few moments pause. Buffy sighed.

"So we have a one in three chance of blowing up?" Anakin Sr. clarified.

"More like a one in two chance… the second test, the jump drive shut down before it could explode, but it was close." At their disbelieving looks, Xander huffed in annoyance. "Look, I said it was a bad idea! But you either take conventional fighters and try to fly through all of that crap - and get blown up - or you take a chance with the Raptors-"

"And get blown up," Anakin finished.

"Tara's on board my ship right now, we got you Mara, grandpa," he jerked his thumb at Anakin Sr., who let out an indignant 'Hey!', "And Buffy's pretty good with a wrench anyways. I figure we have a couple of days before we have to attack, so we get you all up there and work on the damn things to get them operational." He shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway you look at it; it's a choice between the lesser of two suicides."

"There is another problem," Harrar looked to Jacen. "I think you know what it is."

"The world brain," he realized.

"The what?"

"It's what the Yuuzhan Vong used to terraform Coruscant," he explained. "I befriended it during my captivity, helped it get chosen. Long story." He held off their questions and turned back to Harrar. "But I thought it's been sabotaging the efforts of colonization?"

"It has," Harrar confirmed. "But it is still bound to the will of the Supreme Overlord. If Shimrra feels he is losing control of the planet, he can order the Pazhkic Yuuzhan'tar al'tirrna to destroy the planet."

"So we need to convince it not to do that," Anakin Sr. reasoned, looking up at Xander. "How many planes do you have?"

"Six," he replied.

"So we split the group," Anakin decided, looking to Luke. "Half attack Shimrra's palace, half to subdue the world brain."

Luke shook his head. "I'd be happier with a larger strike force attacking the palace, especially considering what Jacen's told me of the ground defenses while he was there."

"So we get a smaller strike force in on the _Falcon_," Han announced, drawing startled looks.

"Christ, Ani wasn't kidding? You're still flying that ship?" Buffy asked amazed.

"And you're getting on my Raptors about blowing up," Xander remarked. "Who wants to lay odds on that ancient bucket going nova?"

"No bet," Anakin quipped lightly, earning a playful slap on the shoulder from his father.

"Look, from the chatter I'm picking up, the GA is going to hit the Vong hard in about three days time. While their fleet is engaged, you guys," he pointed to Luke. "Take their little planes and head for Shimrra. I'll take a smaller task force in on the _Falcon_. The Vong ships will be to preoccupied to target us and I can navigate the mines. Can't be any harder than asteroids." He gave them his trademark grin. "Trust me."

"I have also decided to craft several Sekotan seed ships for your Jedi pilots," Sekot told Luke. "It will take at least three days to complete and we will need to choose the seed partners now."

"Very well. We would be honored to be entrusted with your ships." He bowed his head to the avatar and turned back to his Jedi and the Slayers. "Tonight, we all relax," Luke decided. "Take a night to yourselves. Recover your strength, prepare yourselves. Those that Sekot chooses as seed partners, do as you are instructed. Tomorrow, we will begin sending some people up to General Harris' ship to work on his Raptors. In three days time," he paused, looking at each person in turn, "we strike. And we end this war."

**TBC**


	18. Chapter 18: The End is the Beginning

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

With portions written by James Luceno

Chapter 18

The End is the Beginning is the End

The following morning Han, Anakin, Xander, and several more key members were ferried back up to the _Millennium Falcon_. Han immediately dropped into the pilots chair and set course for the ancient looking Star Destroyer that was several million miles away from the planet.

"I can't believe you came in that thing," Han remarked derisively to Xander, who arched an eyebrow in return.

"You ever hear the one about throwing stones in glass houses?"

Anakin was looking around the cockpit, smiling wistfully. The smile dimmed a bit as he looked at the chair his mother was currently occupying, and realized the finality of Chewie's death here.

"I never thought I'd say this, but man I'm glad to be back in this ship again," he said after a moment of reflection.

"I am, too," Han replied, almost too quietly to hear.

"_Mystery Machine_, this is Admiral Harris, come on back," Xander spoke into the coms. After a moment, a feminine voice with a Coruscanti accent responded.

_Admiral Harris, this is Admiral Eclipse._

"Juno, I'll be arriving with a delegation shortly in the _Millennium Falcon_. Could you have the port bay cleared and prepped for landing?"

_Of course, Admiral._ There was a pause. _Will you be landing under your own power, or will you need for me to tractor that…vessel…in?_

"Hey, listen sweetheart," Han replied hotly, "I've landed this thing inside asteroids. I can certainly handle landing in that ancient bucket of bolts."

_I mean no disrespect Captain Solo, but given the apparent condition of your vessel, I was wondering if your approach would be powered and controlled, or if it would be ballistic._

Anakin snorted and even Leia had to hide a smile behind her hand. And judging by the laughter coming from the passenger hold, it was obvious that Luke and his kids were listening in. Han disgustedly shut down the coms and headed for the port bay, all the while muttering "Everybody's a comedian…"

The _Falcon _made a smooth touchdown in the port bay, and the assembled party disembarked to be greeted by Admiral Juno Eclipse. Leia remembered their own Juno Eclipse, who had been, in a way, responsible for the formation of the Rebellion.

"Welcome back, Admiral." Juno said with a curt nod, then nodded to the others. "Master Jedi's, welcome aboard the _Mystery Machine_.

"Good to be back," Buffy replied.

"What's your status?" Xander asked.

"The troops are rested and ready for action. Slayers as well."

"You brought more?" Luke asked. Faith shrugged.

"Better to be safe, than sorry."

"Tara, Fred and Andrew are hard at work on the Raptors…"

"No need to stand on ceremony," Anakin interrupted. "Point me in the right direction, and I'll start tinkering."

"I need to get in charge with Galactic Alliance leadership," Luke added. "I need to inform them of our plan, and coordinate with the fleet."

"The Com center is this way," Juno gestured, and the two moved off even as she signaled a Sergeant to lead the others to the main hanger.

* * *

The Hanger bay was awash with activity, from Clones tending to their star fighters and transports, to Slayers sparing amongst themselves to keep sharp. They approached the center of the main bay, where six fighters were swarming with technicians. Jaina swept a critical eye over the ungainly, unfamiliar lines.

"We're flying those?" she asked.

"Yup," Xander replied. "Don't worry, the interface is a standard X-Wing configuration. Just a different body type."

"Each type of ship handles differently," she shot back. "And I'm not happy going into a major engagement in a fighter I have zero hours in."

"It'll be okay," Anakin assured her. "You got a standard Incom package into a new frame. We need to concentrate on checking and double checking the repulsorlifts and main engines; Andrew and Fred will concentrate on the jump drives.

They all moved towards the fighters, eager to get to work. But not ten minutes had passed before Luke came striding back into the hanger deck. Quickly He gathered Mara, Kenth, Cilghal, and Anakin.

"There is a strategy meeting being held on the _Ralroost _in an hour." He said without preamble. "More than likely, as it's been surmised, there will be a major offensive to attack and retake Coruscant."

"Well, that's what we're planning to do anyway," Anakin said glibly. "Glad they could keep up."

"Yes, well we've been invited." Luke responded with a smile. "We'll go and make sure our plan fits in with theirs. Hopefully, if we're fast enough, we can eliminate Shimrra quickly enough that the Yuzhan Vong fleet will surrender without too much bloodshed. If you could, would you ask Admiral Harris to join us as well? He should be there as well, since he's putting his ship and crew on the line."

Anakin nodded. "Sure, no problem," he replied. "When do we leave?"

"Get cleaned up and meet up at the Shadow in ten minutes. Skids up in fifteen," Luke answered.

* * *

A small, frosty planet with only two major cities, Contruum 6 was a microjump from the Perlemian Trade Route, and two from the Hydian Way. Mara hadn't seen so many warships gathered in one place for a long while, and the sight gave her pause, especially after the long months on Zonama Sekot. One small light moving among hundreds of others, _Jade Shadow_ began to close on the white behemoth that was _Ralroost_.

"The Yuuzhan Vong have done the impossible," Luke said. "They've united the galaxy."

"Nothing like war to bring folks together," Mara said.

"Personally, I'd prefer a movie," Anakin quipped. "But, you take what you can get…"

The _Jade Shadow_ docked in _Ralroost's _main hold, and the combined group disembarked. They were greeted by a young officer, who led them towards the war room. Anakin noted the double takes various officers and crewmembers were giving him. Luke noted his slight confusion in the Force and smiled.

"You should be aware; you're something of a hero to the galaxy as a whole; not just to the Jedi."

"Wonderful," Anakin said mournfully.

Everyone rose as Luke, Mara, and the other Jedi entered _Ralroost's _war room.

"Wonderful to see you safe and…," Admiral Traest Kre'fey started to say from his position of prominence at the head conference table, but stopped short when Anakin walked into the room. He wasn't the only one who stared in shock. Wedge blinked, then closed his eyes and shook his head. Opening them to still see Anakin standing by the table, all he could mutter was "Huh!"

"My apologies, Master Skywalker," Kre'Fey began slowly, "but isn't he," he pointed at Anakin, "supposed to be dead?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I got better."

"I'm sure most of you know of my nephew, Anakin," Luke began. "The gentleman behind him is Admiral Alexander Harris, and he belongs to a group of people who are responsible for Anakin's miraculous recovery. But that is a story for a later time; for now, I suggest we concentrate on the problems at hand, and Anakin will explain what happened to him to anyone who wishes to know at the end of the meeting."

Kre'fey nodded. "That is acceptable. Please, have a seat."

"Good start," Mara whispered to Luke while Kre'fey and the rest resumed their seats.

He returned a subtle nod, "Let's hope it doesn't go downhill from here."

The conference tables formed a square, around which were gathered more than twenty Alliance commanders and strategists, including Admiral Sien Sovv, Commodore Brand, Generals Garm Bel Iblis, Airen Cracken, Wedge Antilles, and Keyan Farlander, Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, and Queen Mother Tenel Ka, who had moved around the table to give her friend a hug.

"You owe me a full explanation after this is over," she whispered to him. He gave her a famous Solo half-smile.

"Me? What about you? I want to know everything." She nodded, then moved back to her seat. In a noisy holofield transmitted from an undisclosed location stood half-sized images of Cal Omas and several of his chief advisers, including Niuk Niuv, golden-furred Caamasi Releqy A'Kla, former judicial prosecutor Ta'laam Ranth, and Jedi Master Tresina Lobi. Luke, Mara, and Kenth took seats along the side of the square reserved for them. Anakin took a seat next to Luke; Xander took a seat beside him. Cilghal and towering Madurrin opted to stand. Luke had wanted to have Kyp accompany them, but he, Lowbacca, Corran, and many of the other Jedi Knights had remained on Zonama Sekot to begin the process of bonding with seed-partners-the embryos of Sekotan ships.

"Welcome back, Master Skywalker and Mara," Cal Omas said from the weak holofield. "And, I suppose, Jedi Solo." Anakin nodded in greeting. "I apologize for having to attend virtually, and also for the absence of Triebakk, who is on Kashyyyk just now."

"We understand," Luke said.

Kre'fey cleared his throat in a meaningful way. "Because time is of the essence, I will come straight to the point: preparations are under way to move the combined fleets to Corulag, as phase one of a planned assault on Coruscant."

"How soon will you launch?" Luke asked.

"Within seventy-two standard hours."

Luke glanced around the tables, his gaze lingering slightly, almost clandestinely, on Wedge, Tenel Ka, and Keyan Farlander. "All of you are in agreement on this?"

Kre'fey nodded, seemingly for everyone.

"But that's not to say that we won't delay the countdown, or even rethink the operation if you can show good cause for our doing so. We didn't invite you here as a mere courtesy. The Jedi have played an instrumental role in this war from the start, and we have come to rely on your guidance, as well as your special strengths. I hope your months of... journeying have given you insight into some way of ending this war."

"They have," Luke said. Sovv looked at him.

"Just where have you been, Master Skywalker?"

"In the Unknown Regions, searching for Zonama Sekot."

"The planet you appear to have ushered into the Coruscant system," Brand said.

Luke turned to the human commodore. "I had no more to do with ushering Zonama Sekot into known space than I did with designing the planet's hyperspace engines. It came of its own volition."

"It?" Brand said.

"Zonama Sekot," Luke repeated.

"Who's on first?" Xander whispered to Anakin, who chuckled softly.

Kre'fey and Brand swapped perplexed glances. "We're eager to hear your reaction to our plans," the Bothan said.

Luke nodded. "When I learned that you'd moved the combined fleets from Mon Calamari, I assumed that Coruscant was to be the target."

"Were we wrong to reposition?"

"No," Luke said emphatically. "With the HoloNet incapacitated, the closer we are to Coruscant, the better."

"Corulag is closer still," Sovv said in a leading way.

Luke firmed his lips. "Corulag is too close. By moving there we're certain to provoke a response from the Yuuzhan Vong before we're ready."

"Ready for what?" Sullustan Niuk Niuv asked.

Luke glanced over at Anakin. "Your plan, your show." Anakin nodded.

"We had a feeling you would be assaulting Coruscant soon. The problem with that is, any attempt to take the planet will more than likely end in it being rendered uninhabitable by the World Brain."

"That intelligence has never been confirmed." Sovv said.

"There's a priest on Zonama Sekot right now that has confirmed it, as has my brother, who spent considerable time with said World Brain. But that's not the point." He spoke up slightly, cutting off the shocked retorts about a Yuuzhan Vong priest on Sekot. "The point is, it is a credible threat. And if we want to retake Coruscant, we need to deal with the problems on the planet itself- namely, the World Brain and Shimrra." He turend to Xander. "Admiral?"

Xander slid a memory card into the holo display and activated it. "Here's the plan," Anakin continued. "We use your attack on the Vong fleet to our advantage. While the Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant forces concentrate on taking out the Vong fleet, the Jedi will be sending down two strike teams to the surface. One team, in the _Falcon_, will head to the World brain to either eliminate it or, more preferably, talk it into helping us."

"Is that even possible?" Sovv asked. Anakin shrugged.

"According to Jacen, this World Brain has shown a high degree of independence. And with it working with us instead of against us, we can hopefully repair the damage to Coruscant much faster."

"What about the second team?" Cal asked.

"The second team will be inserted via some advanced prototype fighters to take out Shimrra himself." Xander said, bringing up a schematic of the Raptors. "I have crews working on them as we speak. The fighters will make an intra-atmosphere jump here," he stopped at the surprised exclamations.

"You have ships capable of making a hyperspace jump into a planet's atmosphere?" Sovv scoffed.

"Impossible!"

"Jedi Solo," Cal interrupted, "If you have had access to this level of technology, why haven't you brought it to us before now? Surely you can see how many lives could have potentially been saved…"

"We've all lost a lot in this war, Chief of State." Anakin said softly. "Our friends, our families, our worlds. I lost my life, and was fortunate to get it back. If I didn't get these things to you sooner, it was because I physically couldn't, not because I was withholding them from you."

"And, we've just built them within the past few months." Xander said after a moment's silence. "And we've been held up by numerous committee meetings."

"And who are you again?" Sovv asked.

"Admiral Alexander Harris, formerly of the New Republic fleet."

"I don't recognize you," Kre'fey said, scrutinizing the young man. Xander smirked.

"Well, I never said _your _New Republic fleet…"

"It's a long, detailed story that's also a part of my reappearance." Anakin interrupted, placing a hand on Xander's shoulder. The Admiral took the hint and shut up. "This is how it is. The Jedi will do all that we can to take out the Supreme Overlord, and neutralize the World brain. Admiral Harris will also try to put some boots on the ground to fight the warriors and back up the shamed ones, who appear to be revolting right now. And if this works, by the end of the week, Force willing we'll have control of Coruscant, and peace in this galaxy."

There was a few moments of silence, before Call spoke again. "Master Skywalker, am I to assume that this plan has your blessing?"

"My blessing is hardly needed, Cal." Luke said with a smile. "And while I'd prefer a more peaceful solution, I recognize the fact that we need to end this war now. And my nephew and his plan have my full support. In the meantime, what Jedi we can spare will continue to serve on the bridges of our capital ships, as they did at Ebaq Nine and Mon Calamari."

He was about to add more, when Tycho Celchu suddenly entered the war room. Before Tycho so much as uttered a word, Luke caught Cilghal's sharp intake of breath.

"Please forgive the interruption, Admiral Sovv," the blue-eyed human general said in a low voice. "I regret to inform everyone that my wife, Winter, has just contacted me from Mon Calamari, with news that retired Admiral Ackbar has died."

* * *

The night before a battle was always the hardest. You could spend weeks planning an op, but until the night before, it always remained an abstract concept that could be dealt with in a logical manner. But mere hours before an op was supposed to start, it became something- more. Overbearing. Sinister, even. _Especially when it may be my last mission…again._ Anakin Solo thought as he tossed and turned in his bed. _I die this time, and I doubt I'll be coming back again…_

He felt a familiar presence reach out to comfort him even as he heard his door chime. Wearily, he pulled himself up and hit the door release to reveal Tahiri standing there.

"I'm not keeping you up, am I?" he asked with a tired grin as Tahiri pushed her way into his room, sealing the door behind her.

"You're broadcasting so loudly that I'm sure they can hear you on Mon Cal." She replied wryly. "But no, you're not keeping me up. I haven't been able to sleep, either."

"Worried about tomorrow?"

"Aren't you?"

Anakin sighed and dropped onto the edge of his bed. Tahiri sat down beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'd be a fool not to be worried," he started, reaching up and grasping her hand. "I know it's only blind luck that I'm alive today, and I know there is a very good chance that I won't survive tomorrow. Some of us may die down there, Ri. Heck, ALL of us may die."

"And that scares you?" Tahiri asked. Anakin gave her a lopsided grin.

"Not as much as you think. The dying part doesn't scare me… I'm not scared of that. What scares me is that I have all these things I want to do, plans I've made for my future, for _our_ future, and I'm scared I won't be able to see them come true. And…" he paused, then sighed in disgust and rose to his feet, pacing his room.

"And what? Ani, what is it?" Tahiri asked, also rising and grabbing his arms lightly, stopping him in his tracks.

"And everybody always had these grand plans for me, Ri. I always heard people talking about how powerful I was, how naturally talented, and how one day I'd take Uncle Luke's' place as the leader of the Jedi Order."

"So?"

"So I don't want that! Not now, at any rate. My days of wanting to gallivant across the galaxy, like some super-Jedi died with…well, me. I just want to live a quiet life, with you."

Tahiri smiled sadly. "Do you honestly think that between the two of us we could ever possibly live a quiet life? Trouble doesn't just follow us, it makes reservations in advance. But I want to live my life with you, as well. And no matter what comes, I intend to do just that. And even if you're the head of the Order, or just some simple farmer, I will still be there with you. Together, always. And as for what everybody else wants," she scoffed, "You already died for them. You don't owe anyone anything." She grinned impishly. "Except me. You owe me a lot for making me worry so much."

Anakin smiled back at her. "I can live with that." He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. Tahiri deepened the kiss, causing Anakin to moan into her mouth. They pulled away a few moments later, both panting slightly. Tahiri's eyes were smoldering.

"I don't want to leave tonight," she said simply.

"I don't want you to leave," he replied. She reached up and pulled him back into a kiss, dragging him back until the both fell onto the bed. After a minute she released him from the kiss, and he looked down at her with a goofy smile.

"Ah, Parì," he said. Tahiri's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

With a wave he used the Force to lock the door and dim the lights. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19: Assault On Coruscant Part 1

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

**With Portions written by James Luceno**

**Chapter 19**

**Assault On Coruscant Part 1: The Assault Begins**

Soundtrack: Assault on New Caprica (Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Score), All Along the Watchtower (Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Score) Driving With the Top Down (Iron Man score)

* * *

"Up and at 'em, Junior!" Vi announced loudly as she by-passed the door locks and barged into Anakin's quarters on board the Mystery Machine. "Get ready to-" Vi's speech failed her and her eyes went wide when a surprised, and very naked, Anakin Solo bolted up in his bed-

As did an equally surprised, and equally naked, Tahiri Veila.

"Eeep," Vi screeched as she spun around quickly, trying her hardest to forget the sight she had just seen- when suddenly the implications struck her and she bit her cheek to stop the laughter that was bubbling up.

"Vi! What the hell!" Anakin shouted groggily, then noticing his lack of clothes, pulled the covers up around his waist. Tahiri, having the same idea, pulled the covers up to her neck, almost taking them completely away from her boyfriend.

"Skids up in twenty. Thought you'd want to know!" Vi burst out laughing, bolting out of the door before the pillow Anakin had flung at her could connect. "Don't be too long!" she shouted, closing the door behind her.

Anakin groaned, collapsing back onto the bed. "She's never gonna let me live this one down." Tahiri gave a chuckle of her own as she used to the force to grab her clothes from the floor. She gave him a quick peck on the lips as she scooted out of bed.

"Neither will I. Now come on. We only got twenty minutes, and we both need a shower," she said as she walked seductively towards the 'fresher. Anakin hurriedly got out of bed and followed her.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Nineteen minutes later, Anakin and Tahiri rushed into the main hanger of the Mystery machine. The long corridor ran the length of the forward two thirds of the ship, and was lined on either sides with sub hangers sealed off by atmospheric force fields. Anakin spied both Clone troopers and Slayers piling into ancient Republic Gunships, or Larties as they were know by the boys in the armor. Han eyed the craft skeptically.

"They're landing in those? They're braver than I thought."

"The _Falcon_ is older than they ar, Anakin pointed out. Han looked his son over.

"Where have you been?"

"Oh…ah, I overslept," he said, then nodded to Tahiri, " 'Ri woke me up."

"Is that what they call it nowadays…" Vi muttered, earning an elbow to her ribs from Anakin.

"Good, everyone is here," Luke said as he walked up to the assembled group with Buffy and Faith in tow. "If I could have everyone's attention?" He put a bit of the Force into his voice to make it carry, and the hangar fell silent. "In just a few minutes, we will launch an operation that, Force willing, will put an end to this war. The attack has been broken up into three groups. Group one, including myself, Mara, Masters Kenobi, the elder Master Skywalker, the Jedi Knights Solo, Tahiri, Masters Jukassa and Faith, will use the Raptors behind us to jump into high Coruscanti orbit in an attempt to bypass most, if not all, of the Yuuzhan Vong defenses. At the same time group two, comprised of Han, Leia, High Priest Harrar, Joyce, and, in an effort to minimize confusion, Jade," he nodded at Mara's counterpart, "along with a group of Slayers, will be heading towards the Well of the World Brain in an attempt to convince it not to destroy the planet at Shimrra's behest. Fred is just finishing up installation of a jump drive in the _Falcon_ as we speak."

Anakin looked at his father in amazement, and Han scowled. "Yeah, and I don't like it one bit. Nobody modifies the _Falcon_ except me." There were chuckles all around.

"Indeed," Luke agreed, "but for this, we'll make an exception." More laughter. "The third group will be composed of Clone troopers and Slayers, who will be jumping intra-atmo in landing craft to back us up and assist troops the military has already landed." He paused. "This will be a highly dangerous mission, and it is possible that some of us will die." He looked meaningfully at Anakin, how steadily held his gaze. "I know, as ranking Jedi Master," he paused again, looking towards his counterpart father, "Well, with my people, anyway, I can order most of you to come on this mission. But due to the risk involved…"

"We're all in, Uncle Luke." Anakin spoke, cutting off his Uncle. Luke wearily nodded. "I knew you'd say that." He glanced at Buffy. "Master Kenobi?"

Buffy stepped forward. "We're visitors here. We have no vested interest in the outcome of this battle, technically speaking. But from a moral standpoint, and from a personal standpoint, we do." She gazed at Anakin. "That young man gave us information we needed to hopefully prevent most of the atrocities that are coming our way. And that alone, in my mind, makes helping to win this battle a top priority. But because of the danger and sheer risk, if any of my Jedi want to back out… well, we won't hold it against you."

"Not a karking chance, mom." Joyce said.

"Joyce is right." Dawn agreed. "We're all in."

Buffy nodded, then turned to Faith. "Your turn," she said quietly and stepped back so that Faith could take the stage.

Faith paused for a minute and looked around at the assembled Slayers. She looked at Han's back-up - the Dawn Patrol, as it was once named, with Kate and Cassandra filling in for the two fallen slayers, then at the rest who were standing by the landing craft. After a minute of silent contemplation, she spoke.

"So, how many of you want to go down there and fuck these bitches up?"

"HOO-RAH!" the Slayers and Clone troopers responded. Faith shrugged and turned to Buffy.

"We're in."

Buffy stared at her sister slayer in amusement. "That was very inspiring. I'm inspired now."

"Everybody to your crafts, then," Luke announced. "And may the Force be with us all."

"As long as the Force pays for the drinks when this is over, then I'm all for it." Faith said, running over to one of the Raptors. "So, how do you fly this thing, anyway?"

* * *

While the pilots and their passengers manned their craft, Juno hurriedly walked up to Xander. "Admiral Harris, a word?" Xander nodded and the two officers made their way over to a quieter section of hanger. "I've been looking over the logistics, and I've discovered a rather large flaw in our plan."

Xander's brow furrowed. "Flaw? What flaw?"

"The sheer number of craft that will be attempting to use jump drives are too many," Juno replied plaintively. "It's the same problem with mass transit via portals. Unless one large, stable portal is used, there is no way to send so many people through a dimensional tear without serious damage to the fabric of reality- or so the experts told us."

"But they're not traveling between realities," Xander insisted. "They're basically teleporting."

"Using a dimensional tear," Juno explained. "The fighters and the _Falcon_ should make it with little problem, but the landing crafts will experience increasingly dangerous transit until the chaotic energies being channeled finally start tearing them apart."

"Dammit! You're right," Xander sighed. "I can't believe I overlooked that!" he considered for a moment, then nodded grimly. "Fine. In that case we'll move on to plan B."

"Plan B?" Juno asked.

Xander gave her a grim smile. "Great thing about the English alphabet," he explained. "Gives you plenty of chances to screw up before you get a good plan."

* * *

In the dark space above Zonama Sekot, the last surviving Venator class Star Destroyer broke orbit and glided slowly towards the inner sector. In the far distance, a raging battle could be seen between the combined Imperial and New Republic fleet and the main Yuuzhan Vong battle fleet near Coruscant. On the bow of the Mystery Machine, the two large hanger doors yawned open, and six fighters slid smoothly out into space. Almost immediately behind them flew the _Millennium_ _Falcon_.

Onboard the first Raptor, Anakin checked over his instruments. In the second seat behind him sat Tahiri. "All Repulsorlifts are off line, main engines engaged. All systems go." He touched the com activator on his chair. "Red one standing by. All fighters report."

"Red two, standing by," Anakin Sr. announced, Obi-Wan in his second seat.

"Red three, standing by," Buffy called, with Faith in her second seat.

"Red four, standing by," Zett called out. Dawn was his co-pilot.

"Red five, standing by," Luke called, and smiled. Mara smiled at him. "Just like old times, eh?" she asked. Luke nodded.

"Red six, standing by," Jaina called, with Jacen seated behind her.

"Entering jump coordinates. Prepare to synch navicomputers on my mark," Anakin stated. "Three, two, one, mark!" The six fighters synched their navicomputers. "Alright everyone, pull up your socks and grab your crotch. We jump in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three... get ready for a little jolt… two, one… JUMP!"

One by one, the six Raptors vanished in a brilliant flash of light-

And reappeared almost instantly in the turbulent atmosphere of Coruscant.

Both pilots and passengers were slammed back hard into their seats at the sudden onrush of turbulence and gravity, and it was only by the individual pilot's strength and natural talent that the fighters retained any control. After a few moments, Jacen's voice could be heard over the com.

"That was some little jolt," he said mildly.

"Flying is for droids," groaned Obi-Wan.

"Oh baby, this is a kick-ass ride!" Faith shouted jubilantly.

The six fighters streaked through the sky, heading towards an open field near Shimrra's palace. Anakin switched on his scanners. "Looks like all the air support is up fighting their big… wait one." He narrowed his scanners focus, then cursed under his breath. "Twelve enemy Coral Skippers incoming."

"Break! Break! Break!" Buffy commanded, and the fighters split up in six different directions.

The coral skippers broke off as well, with two going after each Raptor. The combat was fast and furious, with Jaina getting an early kill with astounding ease.

"I have GOT to get me one of these!" she exclaimed after dusting he second skipper with a blast from her lasers. "My X-Wing has nothing on these guns."

"Just remember, they would work like your X-Wings guns if they were recharged here," Jacen pointed out. "Dimensional difference and all of that." In short order all the skippers were destroyed, and the six Raptors headed back towards the clearing.

"Well, that was fun," Anakin Jr. said playfully, helping Tahiri out of the jet. "Wouldn't you say?"

"You're even more insane than you used to be, you know?" she replied.

"Well, we all made it," Luke said, glancing over everyone. "And in one piece. That's unusual for one of our missions."

Suddenly they heard a rustling, and everyone quieted down as five lightsabers snap-hissed to life. They were lowered, however, when a group of human soldiers slowly walked out of the foliage at the edge of the clearing, one who was instantly recognizable as-

"Jag!" Jaina rushed over and gave Jagged Fel a tight hug. "What the blazes are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm just here for the scenery. Been needing a vacation for a while now, you know," he replied cheekily. Then gaped as he saw Anakin. "Anakin Solo? Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Anakin quipped with a cheeky grin. "Oh, and you break my sisters' heart, and I'll beat you to death with a shovel."

"Anakin!" Jaina exclaimed. Anakin shrugged.

"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend."

* * *

"Welcome home," Judder Page said, "To, as we like to call it, 'Necropolis.'"

Like his comrades, Page was wearing a jet pack and helmet, and carrying a blaster rifle. Along the edge of the clearing stood a dozen YVH droids. Luke wasn't surprised to spy a couple of Wraiths among the commando platoon, but Pash Cracken was the last person he had expected to see. Page began to brief Luke and the rest on the situation planet side.

"The Shamed Ones are up in arms, but word has it that Shimrra has issued an extermination order. He's blaming them for every reversal the Yuuzhan Vong have faced, and is determined to see every last one of them die, along with Coruscant itself."

"How fortified is the sacred precinct?" Luke asked.

"Several thousand ground troops, some reptoid slave soldiers," Cracken said. "But not much in the way of air support." He nodded at the flashing sky. "Most of the skips have gone upside."

"More's the better for us," Luke said.

"Sounds like the Shamed Ones could use some help," Dawn noted. Cracken nodded.

"That's what we've been doing."

"Then I think a few of us could be spared to help," Dawn decided, turning to Luke and Anakin. "Zet and I will go with them to help."

"As will I," Obi-Wan decided, and then looked to his former Padawan. "You hold the line with Shimrra."

"Just another Dark Lord. No problem," Anakin assured him.

"Mara," Luke said suddenly, "You and Tahiri also go and help."

Mara's eyes narrowed. "And why would I want to do that? What are you playing at here, Skywalker. I know you don't plan on dying today."

"No, I don't, "Luke assured her. "But we have to think of Ben. If something should happen, we shouldn't both be in the same place. And Tahiri's experience with Yuuzhan Vong will be invaluable."

Mara thought for a moment, then finally sighed. "Fine. You win this round. But you better come back to me."

"Uh, you guys might be having some more help even sooner than you thought," Buffy said, looking up. Anakin looked up as well.

"Wuh de ma."

"What the blazes!" Cracken exclaimed, as above them, falling rapidly, was an ancient Venator Star Destroyer that was rapidly disgorging wave after wave of fighters and Lartie carriers.

Anakin Jr. looked to his would be grandfather. "So gramps, you're supposed to be the Chosen One and all of that," he quipped, glancing up as the Mystery Machine kept getting closer and closer. "Catch it."

"Are you kidding?"

"Not right now…"

"COVER!" Buffy shouted, ducking her head and covered it with her arms just as the Mystery Machine jumped away, sending a harsh wash of dirt and rocks spraying everywhere. After a moment, Buffy looked up.

"I'm gonna kill that man…"

Xander briskly walked onto the bridge of the Mystery Machine and briefly glanced around. "Helmsman!" he called out after a moment. "Pull the navigation data from our drop ships and plug it into our jump drive. Flight officer," he turned to face another officer in the pit, "alert our forces. All drop ships and fighters are to be manned and ready to launch in two minutes. Tell them to prepare for severe chop. I want all launch bay doors open; they have to clear the ship in under two minutes, or they don't launch at all."

"Admiral," Juno interrupted, "Please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you are going to do?"

Xander just looked at her grimly, then activated the general com system. "All hands, prepare for combat jump!"

Vi, who had followed the two onto the bridge, gaped. "You're going to jump THIS ship into the atmosphere?"

Xander nodded. "Our people need backup, and this is the only way to do it." He turned to Juno. "Admiral Eclipse?"

Juno sighed, then activated her own mike. "Sound general quarters, all hands to battle stations. All crew must be wearing their emergency PPG's at ALL TIMES." She grabbed several of the devices that were stored in a special compartment on the bridge, tossed one each to Xander and Vi before clipping one onto her own belt.

"Sure glad mom and dad left me here were it was safe," Vi quipped. Xander snorted.

"There is no safe in a war zone," he responded sagely.

"All decks report ready, Admiral," Juno said a minute later. "But might I also remind you that, while this ship is capable of atmospheric flight, our repulsolifts will have no discernable effect in a jump into atmosphere. They simply won't be able to compete with gravity on that scale…"

"They just need to buy us a little time, Juno," Xander replied. He looked over to the helmsman. "Start the clock!"

"Jump clock initiated," the officer replied. "Combat jump in five…four…three…"

"All hand, brace for turbulence!" Xander said into his mike.

""Two… one…JUMP!"

In the space above Zonama Sekot, the Mystery Machine vanished in a flash of white light…

And reappeared a moment later, falling through the upper atmosphere of Coruscant.

"Helm!" Xander called out

"98,000 and falling like a rock!"

"Launch them all," Juno said tersely into her mike. On the hanger deck, the dozens of transports and hundreds of fighters lit their engines, burning out of the top hanger bay at top speed.

"We're getting close to the deck…" Juno observed warily on a display.

"All ships are away!" the flight officer shouted.

"JUMP!" Xander commanded, and once again the aging Star Destroyer disappeared in a flash of white light.

* * *

"Everybody set?"

The cockpit of the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ was a bit crowded. Han and Leia were at their now customary positions as pilot and co-pilot, while Harrar and Joyce sat in the rear two seats. Fred was also present, making some last minute adjustments to the _Falcon_'s newly installed jump drive. Back in the main hold, Jade was busy trying to keep the Slayers settled even as Threepio and Artoo strapped themselves in (or braced himself, in Artoo's case).

Fred made one more adjustment, then nodded, satisfied. "Alright, she's all set."

"And this will get us past the dovin basals?" Harrar asked. Fred nodded.

"Yup!"

"And how do I start it?" Han asked warily. He really didn't like when other people tinkered with his ship. Something always seemed to go wrong if they did.

"See the big red button by the hyperdrive control?" Fred inquired. When Han nodded, she merely said, "All the coordinates are set, so just push the big red button!"

"You are far to chipper," Han muttered, drawing a chuckle from Joyce. "Alright, here we go!" he hit the button.

The familiar flash of light played out, but seemed inside the cockpit as if it stuttered briefly, before suddenly stopping and dumping the _Falcon_ back into real space -

- In the middle of the dovin basal mine field.

"Oh Stang!" Han exclaimed.

"Oh shit!" Joyce countered, grasping her chair tightly as Han frantically engaged the sub lights and started to bob and weave. A singularity suddenly formed before the ship.

"Feed that thing something!" he exclaimed. Leia wasted no time in firing a pair of proton torpedoes into the maw, causing it to wink shut.

"What the blazes is going on up here!" Jade exclaimed as she came into the cockpit.

"I don't know! The jump drive failed for some reason… it should have worked, I installed the exact same drive into Joyce's _Falcon_!"

Joyce cursed. "This isn't the same ship, Fred! This ships years older and has dozens more modifications made to it! Not every system is the same!"

"Abort the mission," Jade said bluntly. Han shook his head.

"Uh-uh," he argued. 'I didn't get all dressed up to sit this one out. Our ride will just be a bit bumpier than we thought, that's all. Hang on!" He put the ship into a dizzying turn, maneuvering between mines and around coral skippers. It seemed to take hours, but it was only a few minutes later that the _Falcon_ broke free and entered the upper atmosphere. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the _Falcon_ leveled out. "Next stop, the former Senate hall," Han announced. Joyce was about to say something when the cockpit door slid open again, and Molly leaned in.

"I just wanted to tell you, good luck. We're all counting on you." She moved back out and the door slid shut, leaving a bewildered Han, Leia and Harrar. Joyce, Jade and Fred just shook their heads.

* * *

It was a war zone, pure and simple.

Yuuzhan Vong warriors intent on following orders to the end, were massacring the shamed ones wholesale, leaving no fallen body unhewn. The New Republic and Imperial soldiers were doing their best to turn the tide, but it was hard work. They were vastly outnumbered.

And then the Jedi came. General Kenobi led the way, with Mara and Tahiri right behind him. Dawn and Zet brought up the rear, but didn't stay there for long. Soon Dawn was wading into the enemy ranks, her double-bladed lightsaber a blur of motion and her mastery of the Vaapad form evident as one warrior after another fell before her.

Moments after the Jedi arrived, dozens of Clone Commandos and Slayers made their way into the fray, and the battle finally started to turn. Exuberant cries of 'jeedai!' came forth from the shamed ones as their heroes devastated the warriors their emperor has sent to annihilate them. The tide had finally turned.

Nom Anor was beyond frustrated. Despite his injuries, he had returned to Yuuzhan'tar a hero, thanks to his efforts to destroy Zonama Sekot and had been granted a new radank implant to replace his lost arm. He had even been promoted to prefect. But the return of Zonama Sekot in orbit of Yuuzhan'tar as all his enemies needed to have him killed, so he had been forced to return to the Shamed Ones as Yu'Shaa, the Prophet. He had even decided to help lead the assault against Shimrra, in the hopes of ending his madness and, of course, replacing him as the Supreme Overlord.

_What a foolish idea, _he thought to himself as he slit yet another warrior's throat with his coufee. All around him other warriors were beginning to add their voices to the tumult and to press the attack. Reinforcements, Nom Anor told himself bitterly. The heretics would be lucky now if they even made it to the Place of Bones. Unexpectedly, though, the war cries of the Citadel guard began to fade, and the crowd was pushed back toward the Place of Hierarchy. It was the heretics who were being reinforced!

Nom Anor was suddenly inflamed. If every cell of Shamed Ones could find the courage to rise up, there was a chance, though slim, that the heretics would yet win the day. His conviction surged as the reports of stun and flash grenades began to echo and rebound from the walls of the temples and the dormitories of the intendants. Hundreds were instantly flattened to the saturated ground.

Then blaster bolts rang out. Resistance fighters and Alliance commandos! Nom Anor realized. It was the warriors who were trapped! Nom Anor charged into the brawl, slashing throats and hamstrings. Overwhelmed, the warriors fought brutally and valiantly, but more and more of them were falling and being trampled underfoot.

Nom Anor was in the thick of things when new sounds drew his attention and he froze in surprise and dread. Snap-hiss! Thrummm...

He risked a sideways glance to discover several Jedi, parrying and slashing with their lightsabers. Worse, one of them was Mara Jade Skywalker. The very Jedi who had fallen victim to Nom Anor's coomb spores so long ago, now fighting all but alongside of him. Not far away from the red-golden-haired Skywalker was Tahiri Veila, the Jedi who had almost been shaped into a Yuuzhan Vong, and with whom Nom Anor had fought and escaped from on Zonama Sekot.

And beside Tahiri, a tall, older male Jedi whom Nom Anor didn't recognize, with two more behind them. He tried to conceal himself by wading deeper into the battle, but the conflict was too frenzied for him to make any headway. He began to angle toward the northwest entrance to the Place of Hierarchy, but there, too, he was rapidly hemmed in by clashing warriors and heretics. No matter which direction he attempted to move, he wound up being pushed inexorably closer to the two Jedi women.

Whirling, he slit the throat of a Shamed One and placed himself where the gushing blood could wash over his face. He found a sodden turban on the ground and pulled it down over his forehead, only to have it unwind and flop uselessly over his shoulders. He cursed himself for not having thought to carry an ooglith masquer with him. A group of enraged warriors made a sudden sally, forcing the heretics away from the Place of Hierarchy and out into the broad boulevard that ran north to the Citadel.

Again Nom Anor heard the distinctive thrum of a lightsaber, and shortly found himself pressed shoulder to shoulder with youthful Tahiri, who was shouting alternately in Basic and Yuuzhan Vong as her blue blade deflected overhead strikes from amphistaffs and lateral swipes from coufees. Nom Anor's attempts to squirm away were in vain. He turned his back at the same time the Jedi did, but surges in the crowd kept shoving them hard into each other.

All at once, Nom Anor could feel small Tahiri's body tense against his. He pivoted in time to see Tahiri throw up her hands in some sort of Force gesture, and a dozen warriors hit the ground as if struck by a swarm of invisible thud bugs.

A Force Wall! Nom Anor thought. Tahiri used her Jedi powers a second time to create an even wider circle of clear space, then whirled and grabbed Nom Anor by the arm, spinning him around to face her, her eyes already wide with discovery. Sending his amphistaff flying with a Force command, she immobilized him by clutching the yoke of his robeskin. Then she turned and gesticulated toward her fellow Jedi.

"Mara, I have Nom Anor!"

Over the heads of combatants, through the hail, misted blood, and forest of flailing arms, Nom Anor could see Skywalker gazing directly at him in eager peril. Summoning his strength, Nom Anor slashed upward with his coufee, missing Tahiri by a blade but succeeding in cutting the handful of robe she had gripped.

Momentum propelled him backward through a splashing somersault, and while Tahiri's attention was momentarily diverted, he shoved a wounded Shamed One at her feet. Crawling a sinuous and puddled path between the legs of warriors and heretics, he ultimately reached the northern edge of the Place of Hierarchy. There, where the crowd was thinner, he elbowed his way through a cluster of warriors and broke fast for the stairs and freedom.

"Oh, no you don't!" Mara snarled and took off after him, putting on a boost of Force energy to force her way quickly through the crowd. Dawn saw her sprinting off.

"Mara!" she shouted, pausing for a moment to dispatch yet another warrior. "Blast! She's as stubborn as ours is."

"Go after her, we got things well in hand here!" Obi-Wan said. Dawn nodded and took off after the red headed Jedi.

* * *

Airborne and unharried, the _Falcon_ banked toward the former Legislative District. Owing to the toughness of its honeycomb and crumple zone engineering, the Senate itself had survived the Yuuzhan Vong barrage, but now the famed edifice was covered by the half-kilometer-high hemisphere that sheltered the World Brain.

"No mystery why we're not taking flak from plasma emplacements," Han said, as he and Leia powered the freighter through a reconnaissance fly-by. "Nothing short of a planetbuster is going to crack that skullcap."

"The yorik coral has enzymatically digested and absorbed the Senate's duracrete and transparisteel," Harrar explained from the navigator's chair. "The constituent materials have been used to fashion a new exoskeleton that goes deep underground and forms an impervious sphere around the dhuryam-the brain."

Joyce had a tight grip on the chair next to Harrar's, and Jade stood behind. Cakhmaim was in the dorsal gun turret; Meewalh in the forward compartment.

"How impervious?" Jade asked.

"Sufficient to allow the dhuryam to survive an invasion as a self-contained, and possibly self-propelled, vessel-similar to that which constitutes the crown of the Citadel."

"An escape pod," Leia said.

"But massive," Harrar elaborated. "Capable not only of preserving the dhuryam-with all its engineered genetics and learned skills-but also of preserving the lives of any who happen to be in the Well when the sphere launches."

"Frak," Joyce remarked.

Han growled and rubbed his head. "So how are we supposed to get inside the thing, if you're telling me that bombs can't? Try the front door?"

"The front entrance may prove problematic," Harrar interrupted. "Continue your circle, and I'll show you why." Lit from within by explosions and flashes of lightning, the northern horizon was a towering anvil of black clouds. Han veered east around the two-kilometer-wide dome, and a long elongated tunnel came into view, protruding from the dome. The hemispherical corridor appeared to be made of the interwoven branches of thousands of slender trees. "The hedge maze," Harrar said. "The ceremonial avenue that leads to the atrium of the Well."

Han laughed. "A walk in the park. Unless you're going to tell me the hedge is impervious to weapons."

"The hedge is not only as solid and fire resistant as your durasteel, but the trees that comprise it are studded with needle-sharp thorns that range in size from that of your thumbnail to that of your arm. The thorns contain a neurotoxin potent enough to devastate the nervous system of any creature hapless enough to be pricked by them."

Han tightened his lips in frustration. "I say we see how it handles a couple of concussion missiles."

"A waste of armament," Harrar said. "Any damage the missiles render, the dhuryam will quickly repair."

"Yeah, well, since you're so smart, you think of a plan to get inside. "

"I already have. How wide is your craft, Han Solo?"

"Twenty-five meters, give or take. Why?"

"Oh, no…" Joyce moaned.

Harrar took a breath. "A tight fit. But given your piloting skills I think it can be done."

Leia swiveled her chair around to face him. "You think what can be done?"

"A flight through the hedge tunnel, directly to the entry portal."

Leia's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

A slow grin took shape on Han's face. "He's serious-and he's right." He looked at Leia. "We can do it."

"You are as crazy as _my_ brother. You know that, right?" Joyce snarked. Han shot her a grin.

"Trust me! We can do this!"

Leia started to speak, but swallowed whatever she had in mind to say and began again. "Well, you said he'd think of something, and I guess he has."

Han patted her left arm with affection. "Better tighten up your crash webbing. You, too, Jade. Better head aft."

"I'll be fine, don't worry," she replied, then muttered a few words in Latin under her breath, and her feat glowed blue briefly. "Plus, I think you may need me up here."

Han brought the headset mike close to his mouth. "Cakhmaim, get yourself to the forward cabin space with Meewalh." He sent the _Falcon_ into a broad circle, from which they emerged staring directly down the throat of the hedge tunnel.

"You're sure about this," Leia said while Han was flipping switches on the console.

"No. But luckily we don't have time to think about it."

Han dropped the freighter lower and accelerated. The thorned half circle of mouth grew larger and larger in the viewport. Reflexively, Leia leaned back in her chair and clamped her hands on the armrests.

"Hang on," Han said. "Hang on..."

And suddenly they were inside the maze. But the _Falcon_ wasn't even all the way through the opening when the three of them realized that the ride was going to be worse than they had imagined. The resilient knitted branches knocked the ship harshly from one side to the other. The _Falcon_ rattled and shuddered, in danger of being spun completely around. The longest of the thorns drew prolonged and deafening screeches from the hull. External components groaned and squealed as they were ripped away-cowlings, rectenna, fuel-driver, pressure stabilizers...

And ahead of them, the throat of the hedge maze was closing-narrowing as they watched.

"Fire the concussion missiles!" Han said.

Leia squeezed the trigger, sending one pair, then another streaking down the tunnel, tearing through the thorns and branches and ultimately exploding against whatever constituted the entrance to the dome.

"Angle the deflectors!"

Leia raised the forward shields as a boiling torrent of fire and debris came back at them, washing over the _Falcon_, stripping away more parts, and scoring and scorching the hull plates. Then, suddenly, the ship broke through to a broad, wedge-shaped causeway formed by the limbs of great trees, whose leaf-bearing branches-now aflame-tangled toward the sky on either side. The foot of the causeway was a hundred meters high, but it tapered to an arrowhead as it rose, forming a thorn-hedged ramp whose point touched the massive, ruined hatch sphincter that had long ago enveloped the Great Door of the Senate. Han fought to keep the ship stabilized as it skidded across the former plaza and raced into the second stretch of hedge.

Mara took over then, muttering more Latin under her breath. All around the ship suddenly glowed a field of blue as a new mystical shield sprang to life. As the _Falcon_ smashed through the next set of branches they were ripped away, layer after layer. But it was taking its toll on Mara a she seemed to feel every blow. There was one last tremendous crash as the _Falcon_ broke through the door to the Senate dome, but the strain was too great and Jade collapsed, her shield fading with her consciousness.

"Is she alright?" Han asked, even as Joyce shrugged off her crash webbing and sank to the floor, checking over the fallen woman.

"She's fine, just exhausted. She'll need a few minutes to recover.

"What the blazes was that?"

"Magic," Joyce responded shortly, lifting Jade up and putting her into her abandoned seat.

"Looks like she cleared a path all the way into the inner atrium," Leia remarked.

"Not good!" Han exclaimed, as he suddenly spotted a swarm of Warriors running towards the _Falcon_. "Get the Noghri into the turrets!"

"That could be a problem," Leia remarked, looking at her gauges.

"Why?" Han asked, and a moment later the power failed throughout the ship as the Warriors surrounded the ship.

"Ah, stang."

* * *

In space around Coruscant, the last major battle of the war was being fought. Thousands of fighters, and hundreds of capital ships - Yuuzhan Vong, Imperial and New Republic alike, were all vying for control. And though the Vong were outnumbered, they fought with a terrifying ferocity that belied their belief that, if they were defeated, the victory for their enemies would be bittersweet at best.

In the middle of that maelstrom, pinned between the planet of Coruscant and the Vong's last remaining World Ship, struggled a small, antiquated Venator-class Star Destroyer her commander had named the Mystery Machine. A Star Destroyer that was slowly, but surely, being pounded to death.

"Reroute power to the starboard shields! Take it from life support if need be!" Admiral Eclipse shouted over the din of alarms and flashing lights as the aging ship was rocked with yet another volley of plasma fire.

"Set gun batteries Delta four through seven to auto fire cycle B!" Xander shouted. Vi stood near the back of the bridge, well out of way. She wouldn't admit it, but right now she was more scared than she had ever been, even during some of the more harrowing training with her Aunt Mara. Nervously, she fingered the small box on her belt- her personal portal generator, or PPG, that was set to transport her and the rest of the crew who were wearing them down to the planet's surface, where she, as a Jedi apprentice, could finally DO something. She idly thought about tapping into her own innate magics, the vestiges of the Key that her mother had been created from, and which she herself had retained a part of. But her mom frowned on her using those abilities, always worrying that she would up and disappear or something.

A hard blast rocked the ship, and Vi was sent tumbling into one of the command pits. She landed hard on her side and winced as the PPG dug into her hip.

"You okay?" Xander called down to her. Vi bit back a groan and nodded.

"Been better. How are we looking?"

"About the same as always."

Vi gave him a wry smile. "That bad, huh?"

"Admiral, shields are failing across the board. We have hull breaches on decks nineteen through twenty four, starboard guns are off line. Engines are at twenty seven percent efficiency," Juno reported as Vi leapt free of the pit. Nobody noticed the small sparks emitting from the PPG.

"Jump drive?" Xander asked. Juno merely shook her head. Xander sighed. "Then that's it. Give the order to abandon ship."

Juno nodded and activated the 1MC. "Abandon ship, abandon ship. All hands Abandon ship. Prepare for emergency personnel jump on my mark."

Xander looked around forlornly as his ship fell to part around him, at the smoke and flames that were slowly spreading over the various consoles, and sighed.

_Goodbye, old girl,_ he thought.

* * *

On board the _Ralroost_, Admiral Kre'fey looked as the small star destroyer was mercilessly pounded by the Vong's last world ship. Streams of plasma were digging trenches into the thick armor, and gouts of flame were shooting out of various holes.

"I don't think she has a single fighter in the air," his tactical officer remarked. Kre'fey shook his head.

"No, he probably launched everything he had into the atmosphere, to back up their ground troops." He sighed. "I hope Master Skywalker is having better luck down there…"

"SIR! Two new ships just appeared on our scopes!" the tactical officer shouter. The admiral spun to face him.

"More Vong?"

"No sir, and they don't appear to be any of ours." He frowned. "Do the names _Galactica_ or _Pegasus_ mean anything to you?"

* * *

The two ships appeared in flash of light. They were massive, covered in dull grey armor and sprouting weapons ranging from state-of-the-art turbolasers to older styled kinetic weapons. Each carried a large compliment of Raptor fighters, which they launched as soon as they entered this third dimension. And they were the pride of Andrew Wells, resident genius and ship and weapons designer for the New Republic. They were the battlestars, a Columbia-class and a Mercury-class; better known to nerds and geeks the world over as…

"Galactica and Pegasus?" Vi exclaimed as she saw the two massive ships coming to their defense. She shot Xander a look. "Seriously?"

Xander looked like he was about to explain, then shook his head. "Let face it, this isn't the strangest thing he's ever built."

"Aunt Buffy is gonna kill you, you know," Vi said with a smirk. The sip rocked under another blast.

"Not if the Vong kill us first…" Xander noted

_Mystery Machine, Galactica._ A familiar voice said over the com. _Let us take some of this work off of your hands. Reset PPG's to our beacon and get the hell out!_

"Chief of State Fey'lya won't be happy that you disobeyed orders, General Antilles." Xander noted while motioning for Juno to comply. She immediately reset all the PPG coordinates to the Galactica's flight deck.

Wedge Antilles laughed. _Hey, I'm here on a diplomatic mission. Right, Senator?_

_That's correct, _the familiar voice of Padmè Amidala Skywalker said._ We're here to conduct some aggressive negotiations._

"Fantastic!" Xander exclaimed. "Prepare to receive my crew."

_Standing by, _Wedge replied.

Vi noticed then that Xander wasn't wearing his PPG. "Where's your PPG?"

Xander frowned. "Busted when I got tossed into a bulk head. Don't worry, I got my own ticket off."

"But-"

"Just trust me, Vi," he grasped her shoulders. "I got one last thing here I need to do. But you need to get the hell off this ship." Vi swallowed, then nodded in ascent. "Good girl."

"Prepare to jump on my mark," Juno announced. She turned and gave her CO a crisp salute. "See you on the other side, Admiral." She pressed the button on the Evac console. "MARK!" All across the ship, the PPG's activated en mass, and almost simultaneously all personnel were transported over to the Galactica. All save Xander, who looked at the place his CO had been standing a moment before.

"Goodbye," he said quietly. He glanced quickly back at a small alcove next to the emergency bridge hatch, then at the helm. Making a quick decision, he ran over to the helm station and input some final commands. Satisfied that, unlike every science fiction movie involving spaceships the auto pilot and self destruct were working perfectly, he ran back over to the alcove and typed in a few quick commands, a hatch slid open, and Xander climbed into it.

"Andrew, for the amount of credits we're paying you this had better work," he muttered as the hatch sealed behind him.

* * *

"Crew transfer complete," one of the technicians announced, and Wedge breathed a sigh of relief. He, along with his command crew and Senator Skywalker, were deep within the belly of the ship in the CIC. He was unused to this type of command center, being used to, as many New Republic and Imperial officers alike were, the top seated bridge with massive transparisteel view screens.

_Of course, Admiral Piett might still be alive if he had been in a CIC and not a bridge._ He mused, thinking of the ill-fated commander of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_. Out loud, he merely said, "Get Admiral Eclipse up here ASAP."

"Sir, the Mystery Machine is powering up her engines. And I'm reading a massive build up of energy in her jump drive…" the technician stated. Wedge frowned and looked at the display. The energy readings were, in fact, off the charts, almost as if it were in the middle of a jump. But the jump drive was clearly disabled. And that course…

Wedge went white as the blood drained from his face. "Oh frak me!" he exclaimed quietly, then shouted, "HARD TO PORT! Full power to starboard shields! NOW!" the helmsmen hurried to carry out his orders, and he felt the ship lurch and tilt to port as the massive ship turned. "Is _Pegasus_ turning?"

"Aye, sir! To starboard!"

Wedge picked up the old fashioned mike and sent out a general broadcast. "All fighters, this is General Antilles! BREAK, BREAK, BREAK!"

* * *

On board the _Rebel Dream_, Wedge Antilles stared at the speaker in confusion. "That's not me…"

"General, what-"

"Order all fighters to break!" he decided quickly.

"One lone, antiquated star destroyer can't possible do that much damage if it's just going to ram..."

"I said BREAK!" he ordered again, irritated. This had to have something to do with Luke…

In space, the burning hulk of the Mystery Machine hurtled towards the World ship. After only a few moments, the tip impacted the surface. The bow of the once mighty ship buckled, and then the vessel exploded. But the initial explosion had nothing on the second explosion, caused by the destruction of the mystically powered jump drive. The chaotic magical energies burst free in a massive detonation, creating a shockwave that tore through the World Ship, splitting it in two and crushing it at the same time. The shockwave could be felt on the ground of Coruscant, and in the space around it. _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_ were both rocked hard; several skips were destroyed, and several more fighters were tossed about like toys. The _Ralroost_ and _Rebel Dream_ were also both hit hard.

"By the Force!"Wedge exclaimed. He glanced over at his tactical officer. "Status report!"

"Vong world ship has been destroyed, as have two of their frigates. _Ithor's Pride_ has sustained heavy damage and is listing to starboard, but is still fighting. No loss of fighters."

Wedge sighed. "What the hell has Luke gotten into now?" he muttered.

* * *

"All fighters are accounted for," the tactical officer told Wedge in Galactica's CIC. He nodded.

"Good. Coordinate our attack with the _Ralroost_. I'm assuming Kre'fey is in charge here. Ah, Admiral Eclipse." He turned and regarded the Mystery Machine's former second in command. "What's the status of your crew? Did we get everybody?" He grew worried at Juno's stricken look. "What?"

"All crew present and accounted for, save two," Juno said in a shaky voice. "Admiral Harris didn't make the jump with us…" she trailed off.

"And?" Padmè pressed. Juno took a breath.

"And Jedi Apprentice Violet Jukassa is missing as well." She reported, and Padmè gasped in shock.

* * *

On the surface of Coruscant, not far from the clearing where the Jedi strike force landed, a flash of violent purple light heralded the arrival of one lone Jedi Apprentice. The landing was hard, and it took a few moments for Vi to drag herself to her feet. Groaning, she looked at the damaged PPG, with the coordinate for Coruscant still entered into it, then looked around her surrounding with growing dread. Finally resigning herself to her fate, she unclipped her lightsaber from her belt.

"Well, shit." She said. Picking a direction, she started walking.

**TBC…**


	20. Chapter 20: Assault on Coruscant Part 2

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

**With portions written by James Luceno, from the novel 'The Unifying Force'**

**Chapter 20**

**Assault on Coruscant Part 2: A Dark Knight**

**Soundtrack: A Dark Knight (the Dark Knight soundtrack)

* * *

**

The shockwave knocked everyone- human, Jedi and Warrior alike- to the ground. Anakin Sr. gasped a she looked around. "What the stang was that?"

"The Mystery Machine," Buffy said, her voice filled with dread. "Her jump drive just detonated."

"Xander?" Faith asked worriedly. Buffy shook her head.

"I felt surprise, then his presence just winked out," she replied, pained.

Faith growled. "I'm gonna kill every last one of these frakers." With a cry, she leapt from the ground and waded into the crowd of now rising warriors.

They were just outside Shimrra's palace, and the Jedi were hard pressed to fight back the rising tide of Vong warriors that seemed to come in endless waves against them. Jacen was having better luck - he was dealing with the war beasts, strange creatures bred to be living weapons. They had been tearing apart - no, eating- the bridge that connected the courtyard to the citadel, but now they turned their ire onto the Warriors.

"You think you're the big bads?" Faith snarled, the scythe whirling in her hands as she deflected thud bugs and amphistaffs and felled Vong warriors. "You ain't even the kinda-naughties! You ain't nothing!" Faith was battling fast and furious, but she was being driven away from the group; isolated. Buffy noticed, but by then it was too late and Faith was encircled.

"FAITH!" she cried out, but futily. Two warriors that were behind her struck with their amphistaffs. The serpent head struck out and latched onto her shoulder and thigh, injecting her with their lethal poison. Faith cried out in pain and swept back with the scythe, cutting the two offenders in half. Buffy rushed to her aid, cutting down warriors to reach her friend, but it was too late. Faith collapsed down to one knee, and Buffy could see that even that was an effort for the elder Slayer.

"Faith!" Buffy cried out, collapsing to her knees by her friend. "We have to send you back; the medical wing can take care…" she trialed off as she spied Faith's PPG- the indicator light was red, the portals non-functional. There would be no trip back to the Council, not for several hours. Hours that Faith just did not have.

Faith gave Buffy a weak smirk. "Ain't no goin' back, B. Knew this was… a one way trip."

"Faith…"

"Listen, B." Faith bit back a groan. "Don't have a lot of time…. I need you to promise me something, B. I need you to look after the girls. You're the eldest Slayer! They need someone to look up to…. God knows they don't look up to Kennedy." Faith gave a watery chuckle. "Please, Buffy. Promise me."

Buffy did her best to ignore the tears running down her cheeks. Despite the problems they had had over the years, Buffy would never forget how Faith had saved her back on Geonosis. And now here they were, and Buffy couldn't save her. All she could do was grant a last request. She nodded. "I promise I'll look after them."

Faith smiled back, tears of pain and loss rolling down her own cheeks. She pushed the Scythe into her hands. "Take this. It belongs to the Slayer. That's you again," Faith grunted, using Buffy to pull herself to her feet. She looked over Buffy's shoulder, and Buffy glanced back to see dozens of Warriors rushing towards them. "I'll hold these bastards off. You take care of the big bad." Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but Faith cut her off with a look. "I ain't dead yet, B. Now go!"

Buffy wiped the tears away, then handed her unlit lightsaber to Faith. "If you're going to hold them off, you still need a weapon. Take it."

Faith smirked as she activated the weapon, the distinctive snap-hiss producing a silver blade. "Always wanted one of these…" she said weakly. She swayed for a moment, then straightened. "Get out of here, B. And good luck."

Buffy laid a hand on her shoulder. "May the Force be with you Faith." Buffy nodded once more, then resolutely ran off towards the group.

"Goodbye," Faith whispered at the retreating figure, knowing her slayer hearing would pick it up, then she turned back to face the oncoming horde.

"Alright you gruesome sons of bitches, you wanna play?" Faith started walking towards them, gingerly at first, but her stride gaining strength with every step as she pushed back the pain of the venom coursing through her system. "You want to take me on? ME! You ain't noting! You ain't got nothing! Bring it on, bitches, one at a time or all at once, I don't care!" She was screaming the words now, taunting the oncoming warriors. She held up the lightsaber before her in a two handed grip and angled towards the nearest onrushing warrior. "I'm Faith Lehane, the Vampire slayer!" she gave a wicked grin. "And none shall pass." She swung, decapitating the first warrior, and the battle was joined for one last time.

* * *

Buffy walked, no, stalked towards the group, the scythe clenched tightly in her hand. There was one walkway remaining, thanks to Jacen's timely intervention. Anakin Sr. looked at her sister in concern; the pain and anger were pouring off in waves, almost like when she had lost…

"Buffy, are you alright?" he asked tentatively. Buffy gave a curt nod. Anakin looked around, then with a sinking feeling asked, "Where is Faith?"

"Watching our six," she replied coldly. "We have to move. NOW."

"Buffy…"

"Ani, I'm not a Jedi on this mission anymore." She said, moving to lead the group in. "I'm the Slayer. And in there is the thing I'm gonna help slay. Now let's move, or we risk letting Faith…" _die for nothing._ The words were unspoken, but were felt by all. With heavier harts, the group made their way into the Citadel.

* * *

The Falcon was surrounded, and grounded. Even the dorsal repeater wasn't responding. Han groaned in frustration. "Great!" he exclaimed, shouting over the sounds of banging coming from the hatch. "JUST A MINUTE!"

"Any ideas?" Leia asked. Joyce glanced around, then made a decision.

"Easy. We surrender."

"Any GOOD ideas?" Han asked sarcastically.

Joyce snorted derisively. "We can't fight them in the ship. But if we can get out into an open area, the girls will be more than a match for the Vong."

"What about Jade?" Fred asked, indicating the still passed-out Mara Jade in the rear seat. Joyce shrugged.

"Just leave her. If they ask, we say she's dead. They probably don't have time to deal with corpses now. When she comes to, she'll know what to do."

Han sighed, then moved to exit the cockpit with Leia right behind them. Joyce moved to go to the hold to tell the slayers the plan. And in the cockpit, all was quiet.

Even Mara Jade.

* * *

Outside the Falcon, the Warriors moved back as the ramp slowly began lowering. It paused momentarily, then collapsed to the ground. Gingerly, Han stepped out, with Leia, then Joyce right behind him.

"Uh… we surrender?"

* * *

Mara ran, following the form of Nom Anor. The man who had poisoned her, who had nearly killed her. The man responsible for the deaths of trillions. The architect of the invasion. They were descending deeper and deeper into the ruined undercity of Coruscant. She knew these areas well, from her days of serving the Emperor. She knew he could run, but he couldn't hide forever.

Nom Anor was cursing under his breath. Of all the Jedi in the universe, why oh why did he have to run into Mara Jade? He ducked into another building, running at full blast through the ruined hallways. He ducked into another room-

And came up short as a canyon loomed before him.

The once great building had been split down the center, leaving a meters wide and who knew how deep crevice. Cursing again, he spun around - only to face Mara Jade Skywalker. Her lightsaber was in her hand, but unlit. Casually she clipped it to her belt.

"I know, as a Jedi, I should be above revenge," she stated simply. "But I am really going to enjoy this."

* * *

What had been the Atrium of the Senate was now a cold cavern of living yorik coral. No less digested than the great dome, the imposing post-Imperial interspecies statues that had once graced the arched enclosure resembled sandstone stalagmites or immense candles festooned with flows of melted wax. The curving walls were swirled in blood red, purple, and rust brown, and lighted only by luminescent lichen or the occasional lambent. Yawning black hollows to either side of the vast room were all that remained of the ornate entrances to the Grand Concourse. It was in the Atrium that Jedi Knight Ganner Rhysode had died and become a legend among the Yuuzhan Vong warrior caste.

Or so Jacen had said.

But Jacen had also said that Ganner had brought much of the Atrium down, and that clearly wasn't the case.

Leia decided that whoever was in charge of the World Brain had tried to expunge any memories of Ganner's heroic last stand by having the Atrium rebuilt. Their hands shackled behind their backs by pincered biots, she, Han, Harrar, Cakhmaim, Meewalh, Fred and the Slayers were being ushered by a cadre of warriors toward the five-meter-wide tunnel opposite the Atrium's front entry. C-3PO and R2-D2 trailed behind, the protocol droid's leg joints squeaking, and the astromechs' retractable tread also in need of lubrication. High Priest Jakan's acolytes were doing a rush job of purifying the captives by wafting smoke from elaborate censors and anointing everyone with finger-flung drops of a pungent-smelling liquid. Nearby walked Master Shaper Qelah Kwaad and High Prefect Drathul, whom Harrar had explained presided over Vongformed Coruscant. Red-orange light pulsed brightly from the far end of the tunnel. According to Jacen, the round-topped corridor extended almost half a kilometer to what had been the Great Rotunda, and was now the Well of the World Brain.

"I thought you had your fill of this on Caluula," Leia said to Han who walked at her left hand.

"Ah, that was only a yammosk," he said, feigning nonchalance. "Now we're going to be sacrificed to a World Brain."

"We really are coming up in the world," Leia said in the same unflappable tone. She paused, then in a more serious voice added: "I don't suppose we can count on Lando and Talon flying to the rescue this time."

Han compressed his lips, then gave her his best lopsided grin.

"Chin up, sweetheart. This isn't over yet."

It was at that moment that Cassandra grew bored with being a captive. While the biots may have been adequate for holding a normal person, or even a Jedi, they were no match for the strength of a slayer. Cassandra snapped hers with ease and launched into a flurry of attacks- a fist to the throat, a jab to the ribs, a straight kick to the back of a knee. She was fluid; poetry in motion, reading her opponents every move a half second before they made it, dodging, countering, redirecting. Soon Rona, Molly and Kate were assisting, taking up the Warriors arms and taking them down with ease. Cassandra moved to assault the Shaper. "We need her!" Leia called out.

"Everyone else, not so much!" Han added, and Cassandra shifted her attack to the High Prefect, whom she took down with ease. Han whistled. "Man, I sure wish some of you would have come over sooner! The Vong don't stand a chance against you!"

Rona smirked. "Thank god we're hot chicks with superpowers, huh?" she kidded as she ripped the binders off the rest of the captives. Han immediately strode over to Qelah Kwaad.

"Alright, we're going to pay a little visit to the World Brain. And you better have some good lines ready to convince it to ignore the big guy."

* * *

Growling, coufee in hand, Nom Anor charged Mara and began to slash wildly at her. She leapt backward, out of reach and encouraged him to charge. Her hands moved in a dexterous blur as she deflected his knife blows and got inside his frantic movements to slap and tap him in the chest or the jaw, never hard enough to stun him, let alone incapacitate him, but driving him backward with each smack.

Ducking his increasingly desperate lunges and crosscuts, she swept his feet out from under him with a circling sidekick, then allowed him to come to his feet only long enough for her to cripple his knee with the toe of her right boot. He flung himself at her, but she sidestepped his headlong rush and sent him hurtling into a wall. She continued to hurt him, telling herself: This is for Monor Two, where she had fallen victim to the coomb spores he had unleashed; and this is for the trouble you stirred up at Rhommamool.

Knocking the coufee from his grip, she thrust her stiffened fingers into his windpipe, then sent him reeling with an uppercut. This is for founding the Peace Brigade; for your part in sending Elan to assassinate the Jedi with bo'tous; for your double dealings with the Hutts and Viqi Shesh; and for sabotaging the refugee settlements on Duro. Making the most of her agility, she left deliberate openings in her defense, luring him into striking, only to set up combinations aimed at punishing his bald head; his flat-nosed face; his blue right eye, with its stripe of feline pupil. This is for the false appeals you made to Leia and Han at Bilbringi; for your disdainful appearance before the Senate; for whatever role you played in the deaths of Chewbacca and the near death of Anakin; for your attempt to deliver Jacen into the hands of Tsavong Lah; for your sabotage at Zonama Sekot...

Her blows were beginning to do damage. Deftly she moved inside his flailing arms, using her elbows and the backs of her clenched hands to bloody his scarred lips and swell his ears, ever mindful of that dangerous left eye of his, which she was certain he was saving as a last resort. She pivoted on her left foot and kicked him hard with her right, forcing the wind from him. He dropped to his knees, his right hand pressed to his chest. He had trouble getting to his feet, but when he did, she sent him down again with a fist to the face.

Calmly, Mara unclipped her lightsaber and ignited the blue blade. She pointed the tip of the blade at his face. "You have caused to much pain and suffering, Nom Anor. Too much death. It ends today."

"You would strike me down like this? Now, when I am beaten at your feet? Is this not a path to your Dark Side of the Force?"

"Honestly? Right now, I don't much care."

"But surely your husband would!" Nom Anor pleaded, buying time as he scrambled to come up with a plan. "Or your child! Think of your child!"

"Thanks to you, I almost wasn't able to have him," she growled. But the argument was just. How could she look Luke in the face again, or hold her child? Sighing, she deactivated her blade. "But you know, why should I kill you here? The whole galaxy deserves to watch you be tried and executed…

A moment later she realized her mistake, but by then it was too late. By deactivating her weapon, she gave him an opening- and he took it.

He threw a handful of dirt and dust into her face, temporarily blinding her. Then, before she could react, he thrust his fingers into her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her, then savagely punched her in the face. Rising to his feet, he growled in contempt as he kicked her in the gut, then grabbed her by her collar and threw her into the canyon behind him. Then without pausing to look, he darted out of the room, never noticing that Mara had just managed to grab onto the broken floor on the opposite side.

* * *

If the guards inside the citadel thought they were prepared for the six Jedi, they were most assuredly unprepared for the wrath of one pissed-off slayer. Buffy danced around the innumerable warriors, hacking, slashing and stabbing with the Scythe, a perfect engine of death. She was, after almost thirty years, THE Slayer again.

And it felt good.

She knew Anakin was worried about her. Worried that her anger and loss would drive her to the Dark Side. But she wasn't even using the Force - she was using the gifts of the Slayer. And even if she had been using the Force, her anger and loss had been tempered into a steely resolve - a resolve to end this war, and hopefully end their own war sooner.

Soon they reached the end of the main hall, and all that stood between them and the portal to access Shimrra's lair, was one very tall, very large Warrior. The Warrior spat out something in Vongees, then uncurled the amphistaff from around his waist. In an instant it hardened, and the head became thin and sharp as a razor. The warrior stared right at Buffy, who stared back impassively as the Warrior did several impressive spins and slices with the staff, showing off his proficiency. Buffy merely cocked an eyebrow.

"Junior?"

Anakin Jr. stepped forward, un-holstered his Smith & Wesson Model 500, and fired once. The report momentarily deafened his compatriots, but the result - the Vong Warriors Vonduun Crab armor exploding, along with most of his chest and spinal column - was worth it. The remains of the warrior dropped in two pieces, and then they noticed the round had put a hole in the portal behind the warrior as well. Anakin smirked and holstered his weapon.

"Guess he shouldn't have brought a knife to a gun fight," he quipped, taking his lightsaber from his belt once more. Looking back over his shoulder, he grinned at his family. "Are we going, or what?"

* * *

Dawn ran through the undercity, desperately trying to hone in on Mara's unique Force signature.

_Blast the woman!_ She thought to herself. _Why did she have to just take off like that…_

Following her instincts she rounded a corner, then ducked into a doorway- and skidded to a halt.

The building was split in two. Down the center of the room was a great chasm, possibly reaching all the way to the bedrock far, far below. And directly across from her was Mara Jade Skywalker, hanging on for dear life. The redhead risked a glance over her shoulder, and Dawn could see the strain on her face as she struggled to pull herself up.

"Could you give me a hand, here?" she grunted. Dawn frantically looked around for something, anything she could use. Spying some very thick vines, she removed her lightstaff from her back holster.

"Hang on for a second, would you? I got an idea." She said, igniting her staff.

"Sure," Mara growled. "Not like I'm going anywhere," she gasped as the flooring she was holding onto shifted slightly downward. "For the moment," she added.

Dawn cut a long length of vine, then attached an end to a piece of duracrete rubble. Yanking hard on the vine to make sure the knot was secure, she used the Force to first elevate, then hurl the rock over the chasm where it landed right besides Mara. "Ok," she started. "Grab onto that end, and swing over. Then I'll pull you up."

Mara shot an incredulous look over her shoulder at the other Jedi. "Are you out of your kriffing mind?"

"You got a better solution?" Dawn asked pointedly. "Don't worry, I'm a lot stronger than I look."

Mara was muttering to herself about how mentally weak Dawn was, but she cautiously reached for the vine. It was at that moment that the flooring she was holding onto decided to break off from the main section, and she was sent plummeting down-

Only to be stopped. Caught suddenly by a strangely familiar hand.

And then her world exploded.

* * *

"Where do these stairs go?"

"They go up."

It was a simple answer to a simple question, but it still vaguely annoyed the elder Anakin as they fought their way up the long, winding stairway of yorik coral towards, they hoped, the Supreme Overlord. But it was so hard to tell, and it was doubly hard fighting these Yuuzhan Vong as he couldn't sense them at all in the Force. Luckily for him, though, growing up with a Slayer for a sister meant he learned a thing or two about fighting that didn't require his Force abilities- and those skills were the only thing keeping him alive.

Up and up and up they climbed, one level after another, hoping to reach the top and end this made war once and for all. It wasn't until the eighth level that the Jedi met with more resistance, but it was clear from the ferocity with which the warriors attacked-from above, below, and through the various access corridors-that the onslaught was likely to continue all the way to Shimrra's lair, and probably inside it, as well. If the warriors constituted the first line of defense, it was difficult to imagine what might await them at the summit, assuming they could even make it that far. In most places the stairway wasn't wide enough for the two people to stand abreast, and in those stretches Luke had to face the brunt of the attacks.

He was his own vortex, deflecting amphistaff strikes, whip like lashes, and spurts of deadly venom; dodging or redirecting flights of thud bugs; parrying the thrusts of coufees, to sidestep, duck, maneuver his body in ways that seemed to defy gravity. Stunned or burned by Luke's green blade, thud bugs were ricocheting from the walls and high ceiling, chipping away at the yorik coral surface.

Dropped in their tracks, warriors sprawled with hands pressed to stumps of legs and opened foreheads, or with black blood welling where the lightsaber had found defenseless areas between living armor and tattooed flesh. Jacen recalled watching his uncle on Belkadan, where the war had begun, wielding two lightsabers when he had come to Jacen's rescue.

But the rescue on Belkadan paled in comparison to the control Luke demonstrated now. His single blade might as well have been ten, or twenty. He took the steps at a lightning pace, burning his way through dilating membranes but in complete control of his momentum. Seen through the Force he was a maelstrom of luminous energy, a Force storm against which there was no shelter. And yet all his energy poured from a calm center; an eye.

He made no missteps. None of his actions were interrupted by thought. In fact, Luke didn't seem to be there at all-physically or as an individual personality. The Solo kids were astounded, as were Buffy and Anakin Sr.-but they had little time to reflect. Their lightsabers were busy, as well, turning the blows Luke dodged, or defending assaults launched from below. On the fourteenth level, where the Citadel's exterior wings sprouted from the hull, they reached a fork in the stairway. Luke swung to Jacen.

"Which way?" He wasn't even breathing heavily.

Jacen extended his Vongsense.

"The left passage leads to living quarters on the next level. The other, to some sort of dovin basal lift that accesses the summit." He screwed his eyes shut. "Shimrra is there. He has guards with him-"

"Not enough," Buffy snarled.

"-and another."

Once more they began to race up the stairway, dropping then leaping over the bodies of wounded or dead warriors. Tapping deeper into his Vongsense, Jacen again reached out for the dhuryam, only to be staggered by what he felt in return. The brain was even more confused than before-by something else now. It felt threatened, concerned for its survival and for what might become of its creation-Yuuzhan'tar-should the brain be killed or forced to flee the planet.

Jacen stretched out with the Force. Mom and Dad, he realized. And the Slayers. They had fought their way into the Well, and were preparing to destroy the dhuryam with explosives.

The brain felt betrayed. It sent to Jacen that it should have killed him when it had him in its grip years earlier. It should have dragged him into the Well and let him drown. It should have ordered Sgauru to kill him. It had been foolish to trust him. Jacen reiterated what he had told the dhuryam two years earlier: _Yes, I taught you to trust, and I taught you what it means to trust a traitor. But I have not betrayed you this time. I live in you. We're partners in this experiment. You need only choose whose side you're on._ As he had done while on Coruscant with Vergere, he shared with the dhuryam his experience with the spectrum of life: the featureless whiteout of agony, the red tide of rage, the black hole of despair, the gamma-sleet of loss... the lush verdure of growing things, the grays of stone and duracrete, the glisten of gemstones and transparisteel, the blue-white sizzle of the noonday sun and its exact echo in a lightsaber's blade...

_We are one,_ Jacen said with his thoughts. _We are the union of all opposites. Reject the commands Shimrra sends you. Overcome your conditioning as you have shown yourself capable of doing. Show those who threaten you that you pose no threat-that in coming to you, that in risking death to reach you, they have rescued you. Choose life over death.

* * *

_

"Either you're going to change its mind, or we're going to change it," Han told Qelah Kwaad. His right hand held one of the thermal detonators he had retrieved, his thumb close to the orb's trigger. He waited for Harrar to translate the warning, then added: "There's no two ways around this."

The three of them, along with Leia, Joyce, the Slayers and the droids were standing on a trembling ten-meter-diameter platform that overlooked the Well of the World Brain-a colossal bowl of yorik coral that climbed more than halfway to the vaulted roof of what had been the Great Rotunda.

"What's it going to be?" Harrar exchanged a flurry of sharp words with Qelah Kwaad.

"She says that only Shimrra can communicate directly with the dhuryam."

Han scowled. "Yeah, well, Shimrra's not here, so she's going to have to take a crack at it." Reaching out, he grabbed the shaper by the arm and flung her to the edge of the platform. "Maybe if I just send you for a swim-"

"No!" Qelah Kwaad said in Basic. "The dhuryam cannot be touched! Take your hands from me and I promise to do what I can."

"I figured you'd listen to reason," Han said, grinning as he let go.

The shaper composed herself and leaned over the pool. Sweat began to bead her trestled brow, then fall into the agitated pool. Almost immediately the dhuryam breached the surface-a yellow eye as big as a starfighter glaring up at those on the platform. Then its mate appeared, blinking and fixing on everyone. A spray of powerful tentacles surrounding the creature's mouth sliced through the humid air, faster than Han's eyes could follow.

"Seems a bit upset," he said, backing away from the edge and readying the detonator's thumb trigger. Inside the dhuryam's tentacle-ringed mouth gnashed giant teeth shaped like swords.

"Perhaps we should all wait outside," C-3PO started to say.

Then all at once the Well stopped shaking, and the dhuryam grew quiescent. Two of the longer tentacles stretched out to touch Qelah Kwaad, then Harrar, in what seemed a display of submission or compliance. The shaper and the priest traded looks of incredulity.

"It's as pliant as a young yammosk," Harrar said. Han thumbed the grenade's arming trigger forward.

Leia blew out her breath in relief.

"Jacen talked to it."

Qelah Kwaad ridiculed the idea. "Ridiculous."

Leia smirked. "You don't know my son."

* * *

Thoughts, feelings, memories that were not her own suddenly flooded into her mind. Training in Imperial Palace, under the watchful eye of Palpatine; years of lessons- physical, mental, Force training… these were familiar memories. And then…

Facing down an impossibly young Luke Skywalker in the hanger of the Death Star, disarming him with one stroke - only to be felled by a Mandalorian…

Facing down a familiar red-haired woman on Bespin, feeling the anger and frustration as the woman almost carelessly knocked her about, keeping her continuously on the defensive even as she tried to tell her there was another way…

Fighting the woman again on the Death Star before Palpatine, being distracted momentarily by Luke with a kiss… saw the woman impaled by her own lightsaber, courtesy of Palpatine…

_That's quite enough of that._

Mara gasped as the memories started to fade to the back of her mind, and she returned to the here and now. She was lying on the floor, she realized, and she looked over to her left - and saw her doppelganger, lying there and panting just as hard as she was. On the other side of the chasm, they both heard a scream.

"Are you COMPLETELY out of your mind?" Dawn shouted. "What the hell were you thinking! Doubles cannot touch…"

"Oh, stop screeching like a banshee," Jade rasped out dourly. "You have absolutely no idea how tired I am right now, and I could do without your lip. Shielding the _Falcon_, teleporting here, pulling her up while her memories…" she trailed off, thinking over the other Mara Jade's experience. She smiled at the memory of Ben. She looked at her counterpart. "Never thought I'd be looking forward to having a kid…"

Mara smiled. "It's definitely worth it."

"Wait," Dawn said, something registering. "Since when could you teleport?"

Jade shrugged. "Something your daughter was teaching me, point in fact. She seems to have a natural affinity for it."

Dawn's face darkened. "I'm going to kill my daughter. She shouldn't be doing that!"

"Yeah, well kill her later." Mara interrupted. "Nom Anor is getting away, there's a revolution going on around us, and all of our loved ones are at risk. So can we please get going?"

Jade smirked and picked up the vine Dawn had tossed over. "Well come on, Lady Jane," she gestured to Mara, "Let's do the Tarzan thing and get back to the fight."

"I have no idea what that means."

* * *

The six Jedi had finally made their way to the top of the citadel, into Shimrra's personal craft. Ultimately they emerged in an antechamber with a vaulted ceiling and great curving walls, the innermost of which contained a large but unadorned osmotic membrane. Jacen wasn't surprised to find the antechamber unoccupied.

"Shimrra's expecting us," he said. Jaina tightened her ringed grip on the pommel of her lightsaber.

"We should at least announce ourselves," Luke said.

"Oh yes," Anakin Sr. replied glibly, "It's the polite thing to do."

"Another day, another Dark Lord…" Buffy muttered to herself.

Luke couldn't help but grin at the banter, but pushed the amusement aside to focus on the task at hand. He aimed the tip of his lightsaber at the membrane. Jacen and Jaina brought their lightsabers close to his, and the three of them pushed the glowing blades through. A rancid smell permeated the antechamber, and the thick membrane began to melt. Finally the lock retracted with an audible pop! While Buffy and the two Anakins watched their backs, Luke gestured for Jaina and Jacen to withdraw to either side of the opening, and not a second later a shower of thud bugs whizzed out into the antechamber, caroming off the walls, ceiling, and floor. The five Jedi with lightsabers raised their blades, deflecting some of the winged creatures back through the portal, stunning others, and killing the few that remained. Buffy swatted at the bugs with the scythe, and punched one last remaining bug into goo with her bare hands, then smirked at Jaina's slightly disgusted look. Luke whirled and leapt through the opening. Landing in a crouch five meters from the membrane, he held the lightsaber in a one-handed grip extended to his right and slightly behind him.

Jacen was the next through, assuming a bent-legged forward stance, with his blade held straight out in front of him. Then Jaina came through, moving swiftly but vigilantly to Luke's left side, with her blade raised over her right shoulder.

The two Anakin's came in next, taking position on each side between Luke and the Twins, and Buffy came in last- calmly walking to stand next to Jaina, her Scythe balanced casually against her shoulder.

Though the floor was level, the walls of Shimrra's circular, high-ceilinged lair were curved. A simple throne occupied the center of a raised dais that was encircled by a shallow moat flowing with what might have been diluted Yuuzhan Vong blood.

The far wall contained a much more elaborate entry portal, and to the right of the throne a stairway climbed into the summit of the Citadel, presumably to the command and control areas of the escape vessel itself. Between the moat and the Jedi stood twenty five warriors of modest stature, arrayed in a semicircle and armed with hissing amphistaffs.

They affected no armor, but their burnished and blood-smeared flesh looked as impenetrable as vonduun crab topshells. Luke recognized them from Han and Leia's description as examples of the specially engineered warriors they had faced on Caluula, and against whom even Kyp had failed. The slayers presented a daunting obstacle, but one Luke was confident they could overcome.

The Supreme Overlord, on the other hand, had to be the largest Yuuzhan Vong any of them had ever seen. He had lean limbs, a massive head, and an upper body so thoroughly branded and tattooed it was impossible to distinguish flesh from garment.

Widely placed, his slightly slanted eyes gleamed in shifting colors. He wore a ceremonial cape made of tanned hide. Curled sedately around his left forearm was a thick-bodied amphistaff with an intricately patterned head. Anakin Jr. looked at the leader of the Vong, and cocked an eyebrow.

"I think we need a bigger boat."

Shimrra's lips curled with amusement. "Ah, the Master and the Twins! And more besides! I have been looking forward to this meeting for many months now."

"As have I," Luke said evenly.

"Then come forward and show your respect, Master Jeedai."

Luke stayed put-and yet something began to move him forward. Just short of the moat, and much to the amusement of the slayers, he dropped to his knees, and bent at the waist. His extended left arm shook as it fought to prevent him from pressing his face to the floor, and the lightsaber was nearly yanked from his grip.

_It's not Shimrra_, Jacen said through the Force. _It must be a dovin basal…_

_Where? Anakin thought._

_Jacen looked, and then spotted it. There! Right behind his throne…_

Without another word, without another thought, Anakin once again drew the Model 500 and put four rounds into the creature. The force of the rounds caused the dovin basal to explode with such force that the rear line of Slayers, as well as a figure slightly hidden on the thrones pedestal, to get drenched with blood. The other five Jedi winced at the loud report, and Shimrra snarled. Anakin just smirked.

"I know what you're thinking. Did he fire five shots, or only four? Well, to be honest, in all of this excitement I've lost track myself. But seeing as how this is a Smith & Wesson model 500, the most powerful handgun on earth, and can blow even your big head clean off- well, you have to ask yourself a question: do I feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?"

Anakin Sr. snickered, and Buffy sighed in exasperation. "No more movies for you, young man."

"Kill them all!" Shimrra snarled, and the Slayers attacked as one. They broke off into groups- four each attacked the two Anakins, Jacen, Luke and Buffy, while five went after Jaina, the perceived weak spot. Buffy snorted contemptuously.

"You call yourselves Slayers, eh? Well allow me to show you what a REAL slayer can do!" Buffy leapt at the four Slayers, her scythe a whirl of unending motion, its enchanted blade slicing through amphistaffs and flesh with ease. In short order, the enhanced Vong warriors were lying in a pool of black blood and body parts, and Buffy moved to assist Jaina.

Anakin had tossed his gun at the closest Slayer, hitting it square in the face, then ignited his lightsaber. He raised the purple blade in a traditional Makashi salute and attacked. He allowed his instincts to take over- not his Force awareness, but rather the instincts that Buffy, Dawn, and the rest of the Council had helped him hone in the two years he was away. And he didn't restrict himself to his weapon either- several times he lashed out with kicks, punches, and even a head butt- though he decided after the stars dissipated that he wouldn't be utilizing that maneuver anymore.

As Buffy helped her dispatch the Slayers, Jaina noticed Shimrra's companion making his way up a stairway partially concealed at the far end of the chamber. Deciding to stop him from carrying out whatever commands the Supreme Overlord had given him, Jaina gave chase, ducking into the stairway shortly after the creature. Her instincts came alive even before she glanced up into the ladder well. The Shamed One was already plummeting directly for her. She raised her lightsaber over her head, but the Yuuzhan Vong managed to evade the blade and land feet first on her shoulders, driving her to the deck.

Bent over her, he wrenched the lightsaber from her hands and tossed it aside. Then, grabbing her by the right ankle, he sent her sliding across the floor. She hit the wall solidly, but sprang to her feet. Shimrra's companion was on her just as quickly, driving his fanglike tooth into her right arm as his powerful hands pressed her to the wall. Even before he stepped back, she had lost feeling and movement in her arm, and now she could feel the numbness beginning to spread like a dark tide, coursing through her armpit into her upper chest, spreading across her chest and into her other arm, up into her neck and head, and down through her torso and legs. She became as pliant as soft leather.

She remained alert but her lips and tongue couldn't form words. Her eyelids fluttered, and sounds grew indistinct. One thought kept repeating itself in her mind as she slipped into the blackest of voids. Before he had dropped on her, she had sensed him through the Force!

* * *

At this moment, Luke was more grateful than ever that his nephew had returned to them- and that he brought friends. He shuddered to think how hard this fight would have been with only himself and the twins. As it was, it was still difficult, but the odds were now in their favor. The majority of the slayers had been dispatched- mostly due to Buffy and that scythe of hers. His father- even if he was _his_ father was still Anakin Skywalker- was holding his own, as were Jacen and Jaina. Anakin Jr. was a whirl of activity, taking the fight to the slayers almost as much as Buffy, and he once again thanks the Force.

Shimrra, seeing his last best defense being whittled away, tired of sitting on the sidelines. He rose and stepped over the moat of blood in one step, and stiffly made his way towards Luke. Jacen, spotting the massive Vong, sent a warning to his Uncle through the Force, and Luke spun away from the two slayers he was facing, leaving them to his father to face the Supreme Overlord.

Shimrra sent a massive left hand at Luke, and he dodged to the right. An instant later he realized his mistake as the massive amphistaff snapped out at him, coiling around his torso and pinning his left arm- and lightsaber- to his side. Luke's right hand was free, thankfully, and intercepted the amphistaff's head before it could strike. Shimrra laughed and brought the staff up- along with Luke- and slammed him down on the ground once, twice, three times. Luke had to fight to keep from blacking out as the head spewed what seemed to be gallons of venom at him from its enormous fangs.

Feeling his uncle's suffocation through the Force, Anakin sent his lightsaber hurtling through the air at Shimrra's head. The Supreme Overlord raised his left hand in a parry; then, with Anakin's lightsaber spinning off toward the throne, he reached into the folds of his hide cape-and extracted a lightsaber!

With a flourish, he activated it. A violet blade shot forth with the familiar snap-hiss. Anakin recognized it immediately. It was his own lightsaber, lost years ago on that ill-fated mission.

"Recognize this, boy?" Shimrra gloated. "I believe this belonged to you once. Lost at Myrkr, conveyed to Yuuzhan'tar by the traitor Vergere, wielded by the Jeedai Ganner against so many of my warriors, retrieved when he died and brought to me, and now yours to confront. So that you may know what my warriors experience at Zonama Sekot, forced to fight against other living vessels."

Anakin was too stunned to respond. Shimrra waved the blade close to Luke's head. Luke removed his left hand from the amphistaff's throat to grab Shimrra's right wrist. The serpentine weapon immediately stiffened and plunged itself into the left side of Luke's chest.

Luke screamed in pain.

The Supreme Overlord reared back to gloat: "One thrust and the deed is done!"

Then, to his astonishment, the lightsaber was pulled out of his hand. It flew through the air into the waiting hand of Anakin Solo, who was running towards the two combatants. Trusting in the Force, he leapt into the air, lunging towards the Vong Overlord, and let the lightsaber fly. It sailed like a javelin straight and true, and embedded itself into Shimrra's head right between the eyes. Anakin landed hard and rolled to a stop right beside the moat even as Shimrra's body thudded to the ground. Luke, regaining his wits, reactivated his own lightsaber and brought the blade up, slicing through the coils of the amphistaff before finally severing it's head, then crawled away from the fallen Yuuzhan Vong.

Anakin's lightsaber, deactivated by the impact of the body on the floor, fell away and rolled towards the stairway Jaina had disappeared into moments before.

"Luke!" Anakin Sr. cried, rushing to his erstwhile son's side and checking over his wounds. He frowned and he put his hands over the wounds and tried one of the healing techniques he had learned. "I can slow this venom, but I don't have the skill to completely counteract it. We need Vi."

"I don't know where she is right now." Buffy stated plainly. She looked around. "Where's Jaina?"

"She took off after Shimrra's familiar," Jacen said, frowning. "She's in trouble."

"Where?" Anakin asked. Jacen nodded towards the doorway. The structure started to rumble ominously. "They must have gone to Shimrra's escape craft!"

"You two, go help her. We'll get Luke out of here," Buffy stated, leaning down to pick up the wounded Master.

"Are you sure…"

"Go help her," Buffy repeated. Her gaze softened on Anakin. "Just… come back in one piece. All three of you."

"Right," Jacen said, springing to his feet and running towards the doorway. Anakin nodded as well and turned to follow. He called his new lightsaber to his had from where it had been batted aside, then reached out for his old lightsaber- and was confused to find it missing. Shrugging mentally, he took off after Jacen, diving through the closing portal with millimeters to spare.

Moments, later, the craft broke free of the citadel, and shot towards space.

* * *

Vi was trying her best to avoid any of the myriad of fights as she made her way towards the citadel. There she hoped to run into her Aunt and Uncle which was, to her mind, preferable to running into her mother. Vi knew that Dawn loved her very much, but she got so overprotective sometimes that she would probably not listen to Vi when she said it was a complete accident that she ended up on the planet.

So intent was she on reaching her destination that she literally tripped over the prone body of a Yuuzhan Vong warrior who as missing its head. She recoiled instinctively before her training kicked in. Slowing her breathing, she looked around.

Dozens, no _hundreds_ of warriors lay strewn about the ground before the citadel. All were missing body parts- many more than one- wounds that Vi could see were clearly caused by a lightsaber. Looking more carefully around, she saw something that made her heart stop.

Faith was lying on the ground, face down, her hair matted and body caked in blood, a deactivated lightsaber that Vi recognized as Buffy's in her still hand. Vi ran over to her and flipped the girl gently onto her back and stared in horror. Her face was barely recognizable under the multitude of cuts and bruises. Vi frantically felt for a pulse and, finding none, started in vain to heal her. After a few minutes, though, she broke down into sobs as she realized the futility of her actions.

Faith Lehane was dead. And, unlike Anakin, she couldn't be brought back.

A scuffling sound brought Vi back to her senses, and she whirled around to find a mass of deformed beings making their way towards her. She snarled and, leaping to her feat, activated her lightsaber. "Stay away from her!" she shouted, "Or I'll take you out like she took out your friends!"

The group of Shamed Ones halted. One of the beings hesitantly stepped out in front. "You are Jeedai?"

"Yeah, that's right," Vi said, trying to sound confident.

"We mean no harm. The Jeedai have come to free us in our hour of need," the Shamed One explained. Vi faltered.

"Oh."

A loud rumbling startled them all, and as one they turned back to the Citadel in time to see a small craft break off from the very top and shoot spaceward. Reaching out, Vi could feel Anakin, along with Jacen, Jaina, and one other on board the craft. Reaching a decision, she deactivated her lightsaber and hooked it back to her belt. She turned to face the group. "If you mean no harm, if you wish to honor the Jedi who have helped you today," she pointed at Faith's body, "Then make sure no one but a Jedi touches that body. Do you understand?" she held back a sob, and the Shamed One nodded in understanding. "Good." Then, with a thought, Vi disappeared in a flash of green light as she teleported herself towards the craft.

**TBC…**


	21. Chapter 21: Assault on Coruscant Part 3

**Chapter 21**

**Assault on Coruscant Part 3: The Light of the Force**

**Soundtrack: Eve Reborn (V for Vendetta); Leia's Chevaliers de Sangral (The Da Vinci Code); The Tide Turns/The Death of Darth Maul (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)**

* * *

Anakin tumbled through the passageway just as it sealed itself. He had just stood up when he was thrown to the side as the craft launched itself. He stood once more and straightened his hat, then glared at his smirking brother.

"Glad you could make it," Jacen quipped.

"You know me," Anakin returned. "I love to make an entrance." He glanced around. "Where do you think Jaina is?"

Jacen closed his eyes and reached out into the Force. He felt his sister, her Force signature weak but noticeable, in the upper levels of the ship. He also felt something els e- something that surprised him. "She's upstairs… and she's not alone."

"Feeling something with your vongsense?" Anakin asked. Jacen shook his head.

"No. In the Force."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Well, we won't find out anything down here. Let's go." The two climbed up the stairs, never noticing the figure lurking in the shadows behind them.

* * *

They reached the bridge of the ship in no time, and together they strode out of the aft passage into the main part of the bridge. To their right, strung up against the curved side of the vessel on horns of protruding yorik coral was Jaina. And before them was the oddly shaped Shamed One, Shimrra's familiar Onimi, who was directing the craft the way a yammosk might.

"You will find no integrity in me, Jeedai," Onimi said in Basic, as if mimicking something Vergere had told Jacen when he was in the Embrace of Pain. "Trust that everything you perceive about me is a lie."

"Onimi," Jacen replied. "Or should I address you as the Supreme Overlord?"

Anakin glanced over at his brother. "He's…"

"The real power behind the throne," Jacen explained, the pieces falling into place. "You could never become the Supreme Overlord due to your disfigurements."

"No," Onimi agreed. "But by grafting cells from a yammosk onto my own brain, I gained access to a power none have ever dreamed possible!"

"And not just that… you gained access to the Force," Jacen realized.

"Vergere told Nom Anor that you are the most dangerous Jeedai of all," Onimi said, staring at Jacen. "And well you should be, since you carry Yun-Shuno within you-the betrayer of all I have sought to create. But soon, when I have killed you, you will be my passage to godhood. All you hold dear will have been destroyed."

"That's not going to happen," Anakin stated boldly, and the brothers lighted their lightsabers. Onimi scowled at the younger Solo.

"No… there is a much more gruesome fate in store for you…"

Anakin felt a flash of anticipation from Onimi, but before he could figure it out a large, clawed hand grabbed his head from behind, one of the claw piercing the flesh above his left eye. He gasped in surprise and pain as he was lifted up by his head, and then thrown into the far coral bulkhead of the ship. The impact left him too dazed to dodge or block the follow up blow that sent him head first into the opposite bulkhead.

Head spinning, vision blurred by a concussion and blood, Anakin staggered to his feet to face Nom Anor.

"I have been looking forward to this, boy," The Executor spat, stalking towards the injured Jedi.

Jacen considered going to help his brother, but then Onimi took advantage of his distraction and attacked, hurtling any unsecured items at him with the Force. Deciding that Anakin could handle Nom Anor once more, Jacen turned his full attention to the Supreme Overlord.

* * *

With a flash of green light, Vi appeared on the Vong craft. She stumbled briefly, taken aback by the shaking of the craft as it rocketed towards the upper atmosphere, but quickly regained her balance. Glancing around, she saw she was in a small bay that contained escape craft.

_Used to contain,_ she thought, noticing that all of the escape craft had appeared to be jettisoned. Frowning, she reached out in the Force and found her big brother with the rest of his siblings in the upper part of the craft. Unhooking her lightsaber, she silently made her way up.

* * *

Nom Anor stalked towards the wounded Anakin, completely convinced that he had the upper hand. Anakin took a moment to survey the situation - _he's bigger than me, and that new arm of his gives him an even bigger strength advantage_. And, as he was a Vong, he knew that Anakin couldn't anticipate his movements through the Force, like any other traditionally trained Jedi. But Anakin was unlike any other Jedi. He had been trained by the best fighters in the galaxy, honed into a weapon that would, hopefully, be used to end this war forever.

Anakin spent a moment thinking of the irony of that, as that kind of thinking was exactly what his brother had been railing against early on in the war.

But the days of idealism were over. The days of action were at hand.

Nom Anor brought down his massive clawed arm in a single, crushing blow. Anakin locked his wrists together over his head to block, and the blow bent his knees. Reaching out and letting the Force fill him, Anakin pushed up, forcing the arm away. His own arms still crossed, he grabbed Nom Anor by the front of his tunic, clinching it tighter and cutting off his air supply and forced him back against the bulkhead. He slammed him against it several times before Nom Anor broke free and kicked the young Jedi, sending him sprawling backwards. Anakin turned his momentum into a reverse somersault and came up on his feet, just in time to dodge a blast from Nom Anors' plaeryin bol. Anakin spun around, coming up to the side of the craft and broke off a long, sharp piece of coral. Then he spun once more, dodging another blow from the Executor as he came in close and then jammed the piece of coral up and through the plaeryin bol and out the top of his forehead. Nom Anor roared in pain and swatted the young Jedi back against the far bulkhead with his massive replacement arm.

"An eye for an eye, Nom," Anakin said, wiping the blood out of his own eye. "Thought you guys liked pain.

Nom Anor snarled, then reached into his cloak and pulled out - a lightsaber? No, not just any lightsaber- Anakin's.

"I believe this is yours," he spat as he activated the blade. "I look forward to returning it to you."

Anakin narrowed his eyes, then called his fallen lightsaber to his hand. He activated the purple blade, then brought the blade up in salute. "Then bring it, bitch."

* * *

Slowly, Jaina's body was starting to respond to her once more; the poisons that Onimi had injected were fading, being washed out by the Force. Still, she was forced to watch the two battles, strung up on the wall like a gundark, powerless to help. _Sword of the Jedi, indeed._ She thought bitterly as she forced more Force energies through her body to wipe out the toxins. She stared in amazement at her brothers- her younger brother was more than holding his own against Nom Anor, parrying, ducking, and returning blows with a skill she had never seen him use before. And Jacen…

Was glowing.

The Force was surrounding him, penetrating him. He was the Force, for that one moment, and it was the most glorious thing Jaina had ever seen. She felt him through their twin bond, a beacon of light. She felt him sending her more Force energy, burning out the poison even as he turned the bulk of his attention to Onimi. She watched in horrified fascination as he seemed to melt away, consumed by the poisons he had created which now ate away his healed, whole body. Taking her eyes off of the spectacle, she braced her feet against the bulkhead and pushed herself up, freeing her arms from the hook. She collapsed to the ground in a heap, but quickly pulled herself up - and stared in horror.

Anakin and Nom Anor had both noticed Jacen's duel as well- but while Anakin still gawked, Nom Anor had recovered. Snarling, he thrust the blade of the lightsaber at Anakin's heart.

Jaina didn't think, didn't consider, she just acted. Screaming "NO!" she leapt at the pair, force pushing Anakin away and interposing herself between the two combatants. The next thing she felt was a white-hot burst of pain as the lightsaber pierced her side - and then she felt nothing at all.

* * *

Anakin was holding his own against Nom Anor. The Vong might have been bigger and stronger, but Anakin was lighter, quicker, and had the edge experience-wise with handling a lightsaber. He parried, blocked, and thrust, only to be blocked by the Vong. He swung high, then reversed to a downward slash that scored a deep cut in Nom Anor's robes, but only barely scorched the surface. He started to plan ahead what moves he would use to finally defeat the Executor, when nom Anor staggered back in shock. Anakin was puzzled for only a moment until he felt the Force swelling around him. He turned to stare as his brother faced down Onimi, mastering the force in a way that Anakin had only seen in brief glimpses at the hands of Vi. He stared in amazement as Onimi seemed to melt away until finally there was nothing left but his brother, looking five years older, but none the worse for wear.

"NO!"

Anakin spun, but was shoved back by a hard force push and could only watch in horror as his sister was skewered by his old lightsaber. She felt her pain through the force briefly before she passed out, and thankfully didn't feel the jarring blow as she was thrown off the blade to the floor.

Nom Anor smirked at the two Jedi as Jacen came to stand beside his brother. "One down, two to go. Who wants to be first? The twin? Or the whelp?"

Jacen stared at the Executor through narrowed eyes. "That… was a mistake," he said, tightly controlling his anger. Nom Anor sneered, but frowned as his saw Anakin's smirk.

"You find something funny, boy?"

Anakin shook his head. "No. Ironic, actually. See, there is a lesson you yourself started to teach me a long time ago; a lesson that was drilled into me on Earth. A lesson on how to deal with you."

"Oh really?" Nom Anor scoffed. "And what lesson would that be?"

Anakin's smile widened. "Win if you can, lose if you must… but always cheat." And then, without further comment, a brilliant fountain of blue plasma erupted out of Nom Anor's chest and up through his chin, coming out once more from his forehead. The treacherous Vong spasmed once, twice, then the lightsaber blade vanished, and Nom Anor fell to the deck, dead. And standing behind his smoking corpse was Vi, her now-deactivated lightsaber still in her hand. She frowned as she looked at Jaina, then hooked the lightsaber to her belt and dashed over to the fallen Jedi.

"I leave you alone for five minutes…" she groused, looking over the wounded Knight. Anakin wasted no time and knelt beside her. Jacen joined them both a moment later.

"Can you help her?" Anakin asked. Vi frowned.

"She's got massive internal injuries… melted bones, ruptured spleen." She took a deep breath and placed her hands over the wound. No longer thinking, just reacting, she let the Force flow through her and into Jaina, who moaned in pain.

"She's hurting her," Jacen said worriedly.

"She's healing her," Anakin corrected. "Don't…" he trailed off as he felt it. A feeling like nothing he had ever felt… wait, he had felt it, once. On Myrkr, as he harnessed the Force to its fullest potential. He stared over at Jacen, who nodded. _This is how it felt… but even more pure._

Jaina was wounded, fatally so, but Vi refused to give up. Reaching out through the Force, she felt for her mother, her aunt, her uncles, the Slayers… through Jaina she reached out to Luke, and Mara, and Leia, even Han… all those who cared for her, who loved her. Her brothers were there, beacons of light. Her young cousin was there, far off in the maw, and for the first time since he was born Ben felt something through the force that caused him, not pain, but joy and wonder…

It took only minutes, but it seemed to take hours. And then Vi was collapsed back against the bulkhead, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Anakin moved over to Vi, as Jacen helped Jaina to sit up. She looked down at her side in wonderment.

"I'm healed!" she exclaimed, then winced. "Mostly."

"Are you sure?" Jacen asked. "How do you feel?"

Jaina grinned. "Five by five."

"Vi, how do you feel?" Anakin asked. Vi grinned goofily at him.

"That was nifty." Anakin started to grin, but then the ship shuddered. "Uh-oh. That didn't feel good," Vi said lazily.

Jacen frowned, even as a look of dread came across Jaina's face. "She's right. That was the dovin basal losing power," she explained. "I think it's dying."

"Dying?"

Jacen groaned. "Of course. This ship was created for the Supreme Overlord. With the death of Onimi, this ship is dying as well." He looked at his brother. "It was tied to the Supreme Overlord's life force, Ani. And with him dead, so is the ship!"

"A ship that can die?" Vi asked drunkenly. "That is horribly inefficient."

Anakin shot to his feet. "Fine, so the ship is dead. It probably has some escape pods- let's find them and get off this rock!"

"That is such a brilliant plan," Vi sighed. "Sadly, I think Nom Anor already launched them all."

Anakin frowned at Vi. "You are not helping."

"I just brought my second dead person back to life, so excuse me for being a bit tired," she snarked.

"Jacen, try the vilips. Maybe we can call for help," Jaina suggested. Jacen nodded and headed over to the control console, then sighed in defeat at what he saw.

"They're dead," he announced. "And the cognition hoods are dying off rapidly. We have no way to fly the ship, and no way to call for help."

"And judging by the tremors, we're being pulled back into the atmosphere," Anakin surmised.

"So that's it then," Jacen said dejectedly. He sighed and looked at his siblings. "Well, at least we go down together."

Anakin snarled and shot to his feet. "No. We are NOT going to die, not here, not now. I did not cheat death just to come back and die like this. There HAS to be a way!"

"We can try calling for help through the Force," Jaina suggested. "But it would be pretty hard for them to locate us, what with all the debris in orbit right now.

"In a few minutes we can start sending smoke signals," Jacen joked lamely.

'_Vi? Vi, are you there?'_

The three Solo kids stopped, then as one turned to Vi, who had a slightly surprised look on her face. She reached for her belt and pulled out a small radio.

"Oh yeah, I grabbed one of these from the _Mystery Machine_," she said, then pushed the button to talk. "Hi mom. What's up?"

'_Vi? Thank god! Where are you? Are you ok?'_

"I'm with Junior and the Wonder Twins," Vi replied, her voice still slightly giddy due to exhaustion. "I'm fine, we're all fine here, now. Thanks. How are you?"

Anakin darted forward and grabbed the radio, ignoring Vi's weak protests. "Dawn? It's Anakin. We've got a bit of a situation…"

* * *

The fighting on the ground was finally, thankfully, thinning out. The combined forces of New Republic, Imperial Remnant, Clone and slayers had made quick, if messy work of the Yuuzhan Vong thanks to the help of the Shamed Ones. So with the fighting finally drawing down Dawn, Zett, both Maras, Tahiri and the rest of the initial strike team made their way towards the smoking ruin of Shimrra's citadel.

"What a mess," Dawn noted.

"Remind me to lodge a complaint with the management," Zett quipped.

Jade looked over at her counterpart, who had a look of dread on her face. "Mara, what is-"

"Luke's hurt," she said simply, increasing her pace until she was at a full run, the rest of the Jedi right behind her. Soon they came to the last intact bridge, and watched in despair as Buffy and Anakin came out, with the later carrying the prone form of Luke Skywalker.

"What happened?" Dawn asked briskly, giving Luke a once-over as Anakin laid him gently on the ground.

"He got bit by an amphistaff. A big one. Severe poisoning," Anakin explained. "I've done my best to stabilize him, but this is beyond my ability to heal."

Dawn nodded. "Mine, too. We need Vi."

Obi-Wan came up to his wife and placed his hand on her arms gently. He noted the scythe in her hands in dismay. "Faith?" he asked. Buffy shook her head, then leant in to his chest and let the tears flow.

Tahiri looked around frantically. "Where's Anakin? And the Twins?" Buffy was about to answer, but suddenly they were blasted with a downdraft as the Millennium Falcon, looking a bit worse for the wear, came down on her repulsors for a hard, but safe, landing. A few moments later Leia, Han, and the rest were piling out of the ship. Leia rushed over to her brother, while Han made a beeline for Buffy.

"Where are they?" he asked without preamble.

"They were pursuing Shimrra's familiar into the Overlords personal escape craft," she explained. "It took off; I'm not sure where they are right now…"

"Anakin's in trouble," Tahiri said plainly. Han looked at her sharply.

"You can feel that? In the Force?"

Tahiri shrugged. "Well, yes… but mostly I just said that because it's always true."

Han grunted. "Well ain't that the…" he trailed off as Tahiri suddenly got a faraway look in her eyes. He looked around, and noticed that the same look was in everyone else's… and then he felt it. A power, something he had never felt before in his life. It felt good, and pure… and for a moment, Han knew what it was to touch the Force like his wife, like his children…

Jaina!

And then the moment passed, and Han staggered back a bit. "What the blazes…"

"I felt Jaina," Tahiri said. "Something happened, and she was hurt… but she was getting better."

"That was Vi," Dawn said with finality, looking to Zett, who nodded in agreement.

"She must be with…" Realization struck. "Oh, no… she was on the _Mystery Machine_!"

"Yeah, well your daughter can teleport." Dawn said shortly, reaching for her radio.

"Why is it every time she does something wrong, she's _my_ daughter?" Zett groused.

"Vi?" Dawn said into her walkie. "Vi, are you there?" A few moments later, her daughter's voice emitted from the tiny speaker.

'_Hi mom. What's up?'_

"Vi? Thank god!" Dawn exclaimed. "Where are you? Are you ok?"

'_I'm with Junior and the Wonder Twins.'_ Vi replied, her voice sounding strange- almost drunk. _'I'm fine, we're all fine here, now. Thanks. How are you?'_

_'Dawn? It's Anakin.'_ Dawn sighed in relief at the young man's voice. _'We've got a bit of a situation…'_

"Sit-rep," Dawn said.

'_We're on Shimrra's escape craft - except, now that both he and Onimi are dead, the ship is dying, too. The dovin basals are giving out, and the ship is being dragged back into the atmosphere. We have no escape pods, and all of us are more than a bit tired right now. We need immediate evac. We've got about fifteen minutes, twenty on the outside, before things start getting pretty interesting.'_

"Define interesting," Dawn asked.

_'Oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die?'_

Han grabbed the radio from Dawn. "Anakin, sit tight. I'll come and get you on the Falcon."

_'We ain't going nowhere but down, dad.'_ Anakin replied. Han tossed the radio back to Dawn, and then he and Leia made a dash for the Falcon. Dawn looked over to her brother, then nodded towards the Falcon.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I can keep him stabilized, but Luke's only hope now is Vi," She looked imploringly at the Jedi. "Bring my little girl home. Along with the others."

Anakin nodded, then bolted to his feet and took off after Han. "Solo, wait!" he called out. Han reluctantly came to a stop and turned to look at the Jedi Master.

"What?" he asked shortly.

Anakin took a breath. "Look, Han… no matter what dimension I'm in, there is one indisputable fact. And that is you are one of the, if not the, best pilots I've ever seen. And that includes Jedi." He paused for a moment. "But I'm better," he finally added.

"Those are my kids up there!" Han exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"And that's my niece with them. And whether you like it or not, I've grown quite fond of young Anakin as well. And modesty aside, I'm the best shot you've got to hold that bucket steady while you get them off."

"Han, he's right," Leia said, somewhat reluctantly. Han frowned, then finally nodded. "Fine. You fly, I'll man the coffer dam."

* * *

"We're cleaning up don here now," Pash Cracken said with a grin, surveying the damage. Next to him stood Jagged Fel, who was surveying one of the strange ships that Luke and his strike force had flown in.

"I'd sure like to give this baby a tryout," he murmured, running his hands over the sleek lines of the Raptor. He paused as the unmistakable sound of a ship blasting off reported through the cavernous area, and all looked up to see the Millennium Falcon shooting off.

"I wonder where they're going…" Cracken murmured. A lieutenant ran up to him. Fel eyed the two's animated discussion.

"What happened?"

Cracken was frowning as he walked over to Fel. "The Solo kids are trapped on a dying Vong ship that's reentering the atmosphere," he explained. "Han's taking the Falcon up to try and dock with it to get them off."

"There are still a lot of enemy ships up there," Fel noted. Making a decision, he pulled himself up into one of the Raptor's open cockpits. Seeing the controls were X-Wing standard, he jumped in and pulled in the helmet. Cracken noted this with a raised eyebrow. "Colonel, what do you think you are doing?"

"I'm a combat pilot, Colonel," Fel replied. "I belong in the air." The cockpit closed, and Jag punched the repulsors, lifting the ship into the air.

* * *

The vibrations on the Vong ship were still slight, but were rapidly growing more intense. It was also getting noticeably warm in the main cabin. Jaina shifted uncomfortably against the growing warms of the bulkhead. She glanced over to Vi, who was lying on the deck with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes closed. She wanted to ask her something, but hesitated, thinking the girl was sleeping.

"If I could sleep through this, I'd truly be a miracle worker," Vi supplied with a slight grin. "Go ahead and ask."

"How did you…"

"When I heal someone, a sort of bond forms. The more intense the healing, the stronger the bond. I'll always be connected to Ani now, because I spent so much time healing him." She opened her eyes and looked at the other Jedi. "Our bond will probably fade in a few weeks. Until then, brace yourself for feeling a bit more… impetuous."

Jaina chuckled, but her look turned solemn. "You couldn't save her, you know. It was already too late."

Vi knew what she was talking about, and knew it to be true. It didn't make it any easier, though.

"One thing you should know about healers: when we lose someone, even if there was nothing we could do, we still feel responsible."

Jacen was seated near his sister, but Anakin was pacing about, muttering to himself. Absently he began to sing a song he had heard on one of the slayers radio's back on Earth.

"It's getting hot in here…"

"Finish those lyrics, and I'll kill you," Vi said, her eyes closed once more. Anakin sighed, gave a soft 'Sorry', then plopped down next to his older brother. He stared at him, really looking at him, trying to see any vestiges of the horrible vision he had seen. After a moment, he spoke.

"You know, Jacen…I have to tell you something."

Jacen cocked his head. "What's that, little brother?"

"What you did, here, today…well, I just want to say I'm proud of you. You did something truly remarkable here, and mastered the Force in ways I'd never even seen while doing it." He gave him a smile. "You did good here, Jacen. Never doubt it."

Jacen smiled back at his brother. "I won't. And thank you, for standing with me."

Anakin nodded, but then his grin turned impish. "But I also just wanted to say, in case we're about to die here… at the beginning of this war, when this all started… the only thing I really thought about you was that you were a whiny little bitch."

"Anakin!" Jaina exclaimed. Jacen just considered his brother for a moment, then shrugged.

"Well, can't say it any fairer than that," Jacen clasped his brother on the shoulder. "And I thought you were an arrogant ass."

Anakin laughed. "That's because I was!" The two laughed, and Jaina shook her head in disbelief.

"Boys," she muttered.

_'Hey, kids - you there?'_ a familiar voice sounded out over the radio. Anakin grabbed the radio.

"Dad! You close? Because we're getting a bit hot under the collar."

_'We're coming up on you now.'_ Han replied. _'Standby.'

* * *

_

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Han asked, looking at his would-be father in law.

"Simple," Anakin Sr. said. "I'll get the Falcon as close to the craft as possible. You extend the coffer dam, and make sure it had a good seal against the Vong ship's hull." He reached down and unclipped his lightsaber, then handed it to Han. "Use this to punch a compass onto the hull - north, south, east, west - and Junior on the ship will finish cutting the hole."

"Why can't I just cut the hole?" Han groused.

"Because while you're a great pilot, I don't trust you worth a damn with a lightsaber."

Han considered the weapon. "Last time I used this, I saved Luke's life, you know."

"Just get to the dam. And hurry - we got a few incoming skips."

Anakin punched the throttle as Han left the cockpit, and soon the _Falcon _was flying in formation with the falling Yuuzhan Vong craft. He drifted closer and closer to it until the two vessels were less than a meter apart. "Now, Han," Anakin said over the com, and he felt the ship shudder as the coffer dam was extended, and felt the pull as it attached to the other craft. Unfortunately at that moment, the incoming skips came within weapons range and opened fire, peppering the damaged freighter with plasma discharges.

"Don't suppose you can control the guns, Sweetie?" Anakin asked Leia as he struggled to keep the ships together.

"Yes, I can. And don't call me sweetie," she replied, activating the automated turret controls and firing back at the skips.

"Why not? I thought his could be a nice father-daughter bonding experience," Anakin jested.

"The last father-daughter bonding experience I had was when Darth Vader tortured me on the Death Star," she replied through gritted teeth. "Anakin may have had time to get used to you, but I sure haven't."

"Well, when you put it like that…" he trailed off as one of the incoming skips was vaped. "Nice shot!"

"That wasn't me," Leia replied.

_'Millennium Falcon, this is Colonel Jagged Fel.'_ A voice sounded over the radio. _'Need a hand?'_

Outside, Jag's Raptor streaked past the _Falcon_, its guns blazing. The skips had no defense against the other dimensional weapons, and were vaped within moments, Jag then fell back into formation with the _Falcon_.

Meanwhile, in the Coffer dam, Han was trying to hold himself steady and he punched the holes in the side of the Vong craft like directed. Once he finished, he clipped the weapon to his belt. He thought for a moment to yell to his sons to cut through, but they were already ahead of him and in the next moment a shaft of purple energy flared through the hull and started a curving downward arc to the right. A second later, a green blade appeared and began cutting in the opposite direction.

Back in the Falcon's cockpit, Anakin frowned as he eyed the altimeter. "This isn't good," he announced. "We're dropping to far too fast. The Vong ships going to break up in a matter of minutes."

"Han," Leia called on the com, "How long until the kids are on board?"

'Five minutes, princess.' He replied. Leia looked at Anakin, who shook his head.

In the Raptor, Jag also saw the dilemma and came to a conclusion. "Falcon, this is Colonel Fel," he called out. "I'm going to try and brace the ship with my fighter. It may buy you the time you need to get them onto the _Falcon_."

"Jag, that's crazy!" Leia called out.

"No, that's brilliant," Anakin corrected. "Your shields should hold out for a few minutes. But once they give, get out of there or you'll be crushed. Acknowledge?"

_'Copy that.'_ And with that, Fel broke formation and drifted down under the Vong craft. He activated his shields, then slowly brought the craft up until the energy field crackled and flared a visible blue. Slowly he increased his altitude, by millimeters,, bracing the ship and holding it up long enough for Anakin and Jacen to finish cutting their way out.

The two Jedi finished cutting their hole, then reached out in the force and grabbed the thick piece of coral, yanking it back into the ship and out of the way. Han stood in the coffer dam, a roguish grin on his face.

"Somebody call for a ride?"

"You grab Jaina, I'll get Vi," Anakin said to his brother, and the two rapidly made it over to their sisters. Jacen helped Jaina and, bracing her, made their way to the hole which Han led them through. "Come on, up and at 'em." Anakin said, helping Vi to her feet. The two hurried to the hole - but were suddenly flung to the deck as the ship lurched violently. Anakin looked on in horror as the coffer dam started to buckle under the stress and, making a decision, grabbed Vi with the Force and flung her through the collapsing tunnel, where she barreled into Han. Anakin scrambled to his feet, but the ship lurched again and he was thrown back against the bulkhead. His head hit hard, and he slumped to the deck, his world turning grey.

* * *

Jag grunted with exertion as he tried to keep his fighter steady. But the stress of atmospheric flight, coupled with the weight of the ship on top, were causing his shield to fail faster than he had anticipated. Suddenly, violently, the shield failed and the weight of the ship crashed down onto his fighter. The rear tail fins bent almost to ninety degrees, the canopy cracked, and the engines started to overheat with the exertions they were being put under.

"_Falcon_, this is Colonel Fel. My ship is done; I have to break off."

_'Get out of there Jag! There's nothing more you can do!'_ Leia's voice sounded over the comm.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, then slammed his stick down hard, trying to get out from under the falling rock of a Vong ship. He managed to get out and away, but the stress the ship was under was too much. The tail fins both broke away, and Fel activated the repulsolifts for stability, but it was too much. The ship was falling apart around him.

He was preparing to eject and take his chances when he looked up. The last thing he saw through the canopy was a blur of red and gold heading straight for his cockpit.

* * *

Han was momentarily stunned when the limp form of Vi impacted him. The two were thrown back into the Falcon and hit the bulkhead, hard. "Oof!" Han grunted, a feeling that Vi reciprocated. Han let the girl down gingerly, then sprinted back towards the coffer dam. He was startled to see it vibrating like mad, and to see the beginnings of cracks in the durasteel.

"Anakin!" he shouted, running into the dam- but on his second step, the steel started to buckle, and his foot went through. Cursing, he yanked his foot back and placed it on the hatchway's edge. "Anakin!" he shouted again. He saw his son, crumpled on the far side of the Vong craft, slowly stirring. He also noted with alarm the pitch the deck was starting to show as the Vong craft broke away. Angrily he punched the wall panel next to the hatch. "Damn it, old man! Keep us together!" he then turned back to his son. "Anakin!"

Anakin stirred, shaking his head then immediately regretting the action. His vision was blurry, his ears were ringing and the room was tilting-

Wait, that wasn't because of a head injury!

Groggily, he looked around, blinking furiously to try and get his world back into focus. As his vision cleared, he took a moment to check himself over. He was across the ship, far from the makeshift hatch and the coffer dam to the _Falcon_. He had a concussion, fractured ribs, and probably a sprained ankle now.

"ANAKIN!"

He looked up and saw his father, still partway in the _Falcon_. He saw the horror in his eyes as the Vong ship started its final roll, saw the coffer dam start to break apart…

He poured all the energy he had left, all of the Force he could muster, into his legs. And _jumped._

He landed right inside the coffer dam, just as it broke apart. For a brief moment he was weightless, and waited for gravity to take him to a certain death. But then his father's hand was there, grabbing onto his arm even as Han's other hand struggled to grip the inside of his ship. He felt himself slipping, saw his father starting to fall out of the _Falcon _- but then a golden hand grabbed onto the back of Han's shirt and vest, even as he felt Jacen reach out in the Force to gently but firmly yank the two of them back into the ship. The three of them - Han, Anakin, and Threepio, collapsed to the deck against the bulkhead, the wind rushing past the _Falcon _almost deafening. Han pulled his son into a fierce hug then, and looked out the open hatch as the Vong craft exploded, gravity and inertia finally succeeding in tearing it apart. Han looked over at Threepio. "Thanks, Goldenrod," he said sincerely. Anakin nodded in gratitude as well.

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Captain Solo. I'm just glad I was strong enough to pull you both in. My gears haven't had proper maintenance in months…"

Anakin grinned as the droid prattled on, and sighed in relief. He felt a slight ping of regret that he had lost his hat, but grateful that he was still there in one piece. His father looked down at him in concern.

"Are you okay, son?" he asked. Anakin nodded. Han looked over to the twins. "Are you two okay?"

"Five by five," Jaina said wearily.

"Never better," Jacen added.

Han looked over to Vi, who had propped herself against the bulkhead. "You okay, kid?"

Vi raised her head slightly and looked tiredly at the Captain. "I'm getting to old for this shit."

Anakin and Jaina snickered, Jacen shook his head in amusement. Han smiled. "I know the feeling." He looked over to Threepio. "Threepio, close the hatch, would you?"

"Certainly, Captain Solo," the golden droid responded. He hit the control and the hatch slid shut, but before it got all the way something blew in and landed at Anakin's feet. The young Jedi stared down in amazement, even as Jaina struggled to hold in her laughter and Vi smirked. He looked to his younger 'sister', smiled, then reached down, picked up the battered fedora, and placed it low on his head, covering his eyes even as he leaned back.

"It ain't the years, kid. It's the mileage," he said. Vi shook her head, and Jaina let out a loud laugh.

"Oh, don't make me laugh. It still hurts!" she gasped.

* * *

The _Falcon _landed with little fanfare, but much anticipation. As the ramp lowered, Jaina was helped out of the ship, bracketed by Anakin and Jacen; Han and Leia were next, followed by the senior Anakin and…

"VI!" Dawn shouted, rushing towards her daughter. She gave her a fierce hug, then pulled back, holding onto the younger girls arms. Before she could even begin, Vi shrugged out of the hold and started marching towards the prone form of Luke.

"You can yell at me over your irrational fears about me using the abilities I was born with later. Right now, I got a patient."

"They are NOT irrational!" Dawn protested hotly, quickly following her daughter. "You have no idea the kind of power you are messing around with…"

"No, you have no idea, because you're too scared to study it. What the heck do you think I was doing with Aunt Mara for all those months? Pilates?" She stopped by Luke and kneeled beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Massive poisoning," Mara said softly, tears running down her cheeks. "Can you…"

"I'm not losing anyone else today."

Meanwhile, Tahiri rushed up and hugged Anakin tightly. "Thought I lost you again…" she murmured into his shoulder.

"Nah, I'm too stubborn to die," he replied glibly, kissing her forehead. Tahiri gave a small grin, then looked over to Jaina. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Been better," she replied. "How's Uncle Luke?"

"Bad."

Vi placed her hands on the wound and concentrated, sending her healing Force energies into the ailing Jedi Master. But it was hard, and it showed almost immediately. Her brow furrowed, and sweat started to form. She whimpered in the pain she was feeling, but couldn't do anything to block it out.

"Help me….please, help me…" she was whimpering. Anakin handed Jaina over to Tahiri and knelt down beside her and placed his hand on hers; Jacen followed a moment later and did the same. They reached deep within themselves and leant her the energy to keep going. But still, the poison seemed resistant, destroying his cells like mad… and then Jade was there, right next to Vi, and her hand was on theirs. Hesitantly, Mara also put her hand on top. She felt a tingle at first when her hand touched her counterpart, but then she was sending Force energy into the young woman, trying to bolster her flagging reserves.

And then another hand landed on top. This was a translucent, ghostly white. Buffy gasped in shock as she recognized the ethereal form of Willow, kneeling opposite Vi. Then it was the other Jedi's turns to gasp as more Force ghosts appeared - dozens, no hundred of forms, filling the plaza and beyond. The Jedi looked around in shock and amazement as the whole area seemed to glow with the power of the Force.

* * *

Up in the Ralroost, Admiral Kre'fey was directing the final mopping up of the Vong forces that hadn't respected their commander's surrender, when several shouts drew his attention to the forward viewport. His draw gaped in amazement as the planet of Coruscant suddenly began to glow a brilliant blue-white. One of his lieutenants looked over to the Bothan Admiral.

"Sir, what…"

"Force knows, Lieutenant," he replied in awe. Shaking his head, he softly repeated "Force knows."

* * *

On the surface of Zonama Sekot, Kyp climbed out of his fighter when he felt.. something. A wave of Force energy sweeping over him - for the second time that night. He heard a gasp, and spied Danni Quee, along with three of the earth people, looking up. Curious, he looked up as well - and let out his own gasp. From in the sky the once burning form of Coruscant was now burning a brilliant blue-white.

"By the Force…" he muttered to himself.

* * *

It could have been hours, it could have been mere moments, but suddenly the glow surrounding Luke and Vi faded and the young girl slumped over. Anakin deftly caught her.

"Got you," he said, laying her gently on the ground, pulling off his jacket and folding it under her head. "Anakin," he heard his brother say, and he looked up to see the sea of spectral forms. Some were strangers to his eyes, others were all too familiar. He saw Elegos A'kla, the Caamasi dignitary who had been brutally murdered by Shedao Shai; Miko Reglia and Daeshara'cor, two of the first Jedi to fall; there was Ganner Rhysode, and Wurth Skidder… his father was staring teary-eyed at the ghostly form of Chewbacca; Jaina spied her first wing mate, Anni Capstan; Luke was staring in amazement at the forms of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and his father, whom the other Anakin Sr. also stared it in amazed bemusement.

Anakin glanced over at Jacen, who stared back. "This ever happen before?" Jacen asked. Anakin shook his head. "First time?" A nod. "Oh, good."

Anakin looked around, but his gaze fell on the smiling form of Willow Rosenberg-Nabberie. A thousand questions came to mind, but one above all else burned brightest.

"How's the future looking?" he asked. Willow giggled.

"Break out the shades," she said with a smile, placing a glowing hand lightly on his cheek. "Well done, Anakin." He smiled in return, and the Force ghost gracefully rose to her feet and moved over to Buffy. She gave a cheeky wave to Joyce, who was standing beside her mother, that the Mandalorian returned with a two-fingered salute.

"Note sure your mother would approve, Joyce," Willow said cheekily. Buffy gave a watery chuckle.

"I probably would kick your ass. Again." She looked around. "How…"

"Vi called for help," Willow replied. "We answered. This planet's connection to the Force was severely damaged. By coming here, we are strengthening it once more. Besides," she said, moving aside so Buffy could see the form behind her. Buffy gasped and her had flew to her mouth, "There were some people who wanted to say goodbye."

Tears were forming in the elder Slayers eyes as she took in the form before her now. He was a tall man, but not nearly as tall as her brother, with dark hair, piercing eyes, and an unforgettable smile.

"Jacen…"

"Hello, my love," he said softly. "It's so very good to see you again…"

"I've missed you, so much… it was so hard for so long…"

"I know." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I never wanted you to suffer, or be lonely. It was a great joy to me when you married Ben; I knew you wouldn't be alone anymore." He looked over to Obi-Wan and smiled. "Thank you, for loving her."

Obi-Wan smiled gently. "It's been my honor," he replied. Jacen looked back to the woman he loved.

"We just weren't meant to be, Buffy. In this life, at any rate. Perhaps the next one…. But that won't be for a long, long time." He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you, Buffy."

"And I you, with all my heart," she replied, desperately holding back a sob. Jacen smiled, then turned to Joyce. The Mandalorian Slayer had removed her helmet and was staring at her father in shock. "Oh, my baby girl… I never wanted this kind of life for you… but I am so proud of you right now…."

"Daddy!" Joyce sobbed. Not thinking she rushed to him and grabbed him in a fierce hug - but rather than going through him, she felt his force presence solidify and, if only for a few moments, the two shared a long overdue father-daughter hug. Gently, Jacen pulled away, then kissed Joyce on her forehead. "You are such a magnificent woman, Joyce," he placed a hand on her belly, "and you'll be a magnificent mother, as well." He stepped back and began to fade from view. "Take care of them, sweetheart."

"I will," Joyce sobbed. "Goodbye, daddy."

"Goodbye."

Buffy glanced around, and saw most of the people on the ground holding similar conversations. Han, teary-eyed, was thanking Chewie for saving his son, apologizing for not saving him; Chewie barked out a laugh and said that at least it took a moon to finally do him in; Jaina was saying a proper goodbye to her former wing mate, Anakin was thanking Daeshara'cor. Even Luke and Leia were talking to their father. Buffy turned, and gasped as a familiar face appeared before her.

"Faith!"

"Don't be worrying 'bout me, B," Faith said, with her old cocky grin on her face. "Just remember your promise. Look out for our girls."

"I will," Buffy promised again. Faith smiled.

"And make sure, after you light my ass up, that you give me one hell of a party." She tapped the side of her head, right next to her eyes. "Remember, I'm watching you."

Buffy laughed at that. Willow smiled sadly next to Faith.

"It's time for us to go," she said. Buffy felt a pang in her heart.

"So you have to?" she asked.

"Sadly, yes. But I doubt this is the last time we will see each other."

"Willow!" Dawn called out, running frantically towards them. 'Willow, wait!"

"Yes, Dwaine?" she asked. Dawn winced at the use of her old nickname.

"All these people, they were people who died, right?"

"Yes?"

"But where's Xander?" she asked excitedly. "Surely he would be here!"

Willow's smile widened. "Xander isn't here, because he's not dead." She glanced up. "He's just running late."

Buffy was about to question her, but a sudden roar caught her attention. Looking up, she groaned at what she saw- the familiar red and gold armor of the Mark 3 Iron Man suit. The armored figure, carrying another man in a slightly scorched pilots outfit, touched down not five feet from the Slayer.

"Sorry I'm late," Xander said, the faceplate flipping up to expose his dirty face, "but I had to stop to give someone a lift."

The pilot pulled off his helmet to reveal the worn face of Colonel Jagged Fel. Before he could even say anything, Jaina yelled out "JAG!" and launched herself at him, kissing him hard in front of everybody. Han's eyes narrowed, and both Leia and Chewie slapped him on the arm. Chewie growled out something, and Han looked at his dead friend in annoyance.

"Easy for you to say. I still got to live with this."

After a minute had almost past without the two lovesick pilots breaking, Jacen coughed. "Uh, Jag? She's injured. You might want to give her a break."

Anakin grinned. "Are you kidding?" he asked his brother, then turned to the couple. "Hey Jaina, he isn't a Jedi! Let him breathe!"

The two finally broke apart, both gasping for breath. Jag looked bemusedly at Jaina. "Well, hello to you, too."

"Shut up, Colonel."

"Yes, goddess."

Han sighed. "Well, it's a good bet that we'll be planning a wedding in a few-" he turned to face Chewie, only to see that he had vanished. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "Goodbye, pal," he said softly. Glancing around, he saw the only Force ghost left was Willow.

"This is where we have a parting of the ways," she told them all, then looked to Buffy. "Though, this time, I think it's on a slightly higher note. Take care of yourselves."

"May the Force…" Buffy began, then trailed off at the realization that the Force wasn't with Willow, rather Willow was the Force. Willow chuckled as well.

"The Force will be with you, all of you," she added, glancing around, "Always." She looked at her daughter and smiled; Jade smiled back, a whole conversation in one look. Then she fixed her gaze on Xander, and smiled.

"Oh, and Xander?"

"Yeah, Wills?" he replied. Willow smile turned to a smirk.

"Love the suit."

And then she was gone.

"Yes, Xander. About the suit…" Buffy started, stalking towards her friend. Xander put up his hands defensively and backed away.

"Now, let's face it, this isn't the worst thing Andrew's built…" he started.

"Yeah, that'd be the Galactica." Vi grumbled, finally rousing. Finally realizing what she had just said, her eyes shot open to see a furious Buffy, a scared Xander, and all the others desperately trying to hold back their laughter. She sighed.

"You try bringing back two people on the same day, and see if you aren't out of it a bit," she complained.

"Xander…." Buffy growled. Xander gave a nervous laugh, said a quick "Bye!" shut the face plate and blasted off before Buffy could take another step.

**TBC**


	22. Chapter 22: A Parting of the Ways

**With Portions written by James Luceno**

**AN:** I had several songs in mind for the first song of Faith's funeral, but when I listened to Stairway to Heaven, it just fit. Other contenders were I'll Survive, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, and Folson Prison Blues. Stairway to Heaven is the property of Led Zepplin. No profit is being made from it's use here.

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**A Parting of the Ways**

**Soundtrack: Stairway to Heaven (Led Zepplin)

* * *

**

The week following the liberation of Coruscant and the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong was an especially hectic one - not just for the galaxy at large, but for the Jedi as well. The strike team had returned to Zonama Sekot, and were joined each day by more and more Jedi trickling in from across the galaxy at the request of Luke. The Jedi Master, along with Mara, Han, Leia, the twins and Anakin had been present at the signing of the peace accords between the Yuuzhan Vong and the Galactic Alliance, and the adults had afterwards worked with Nas Choka ironing out the details of the Vong's resettlement on Zonama Sekot. The Solo kids had returned to the living world to rest and heal with their friends. As more Jedi arrived, so did their friends - including a very emotional Lando Calrissian, who had broken down into tears briefly as he hugged Anakin. He had always felt guilty in the role he had played in Anakin's death, no matter if his deception had been part of the plan.

For Buffy, the week was one of preparation. Due to the sheer amount of portals created during the assault, the fabric between realities needed several days to settle before portal travel could be resumed. This left the _Pegasus _and the _Galactica _stranded in Sekot's orbit - but it also gave Luke and Leia a chance to meet their mother, or at least a version of her. With Sekot's blessing, she had been allowed to bring the entire Council - Slayers and Watchers both - across the barrier when it was safe for Faith's funeral.

At last the week was over, and as dusk had fallen on Zonama Sekot the Jedi were deep in the boras trees holding a conclave; a short distance away, Mara was meditating in preparation of opening a stable portal to Earth, and a group of Rebels and rogues were gathering at a makeshift table near the landing area. Dressed in a black syntleece jacket, stylish trousers, a rakish cap, and fingerless gloves, Lando meandered with design among the ships, spotting Han at last, seated at a table with Talon, Booster, and Crev Bombassa, in an open-fronted shed built of Sekotan lamina. The three men were as bundled up as Lando was, and their amiable laughter rode out on short-lived breath clouds.

"Where is everybody?" Lando asked when he joined them. "This place is as quiet as a convention of Defels."

"Big meeting in the boras," Han said offhandedly.

Lando grinned and prized a bottle of expensive Corellian brandy from his coat pocket. "Perfect time for us to warm our bones. Besides, there's just enough to go around."

Han rubbed his bare hands together in anticipation. "Wasn't I just saying that cantinas are in very short supply around here?"

Crev glanced around in wariness. "Maybe you should keep your voice low. You know, in case... someone's listening?"

Booster tugged at his beard. "It is a little spooky, isn't it?"

Talon gazed at the canyon and the distant tree line. "Now that you mention it."

Lando put his hands on his hips and laughed. "I doubt that Sekot would begrudge us a toast or two." From the jacket's other pouch pocket, he extracted five tumblers. Lining them up on the table, he began to fill them with the aromatic amber liquid. "So what do you think Luke and the rest are talking about?"

"Same thing that's on everyone's mind," Crev said with theatrical seriousness. "Han Solo." Han laughed with them, then raised his glass.

"I'll drink to that."

The glass was almost to his mouth when a male voice said, "Got enough for two party crashers?"

The five of them turned to see Wedge and Tycho hurrying toward them, sporting flight jackets and brimmed caps.

"With their customary sense of flawless timing," Han muttered.

Reluctantly, Lando pulled two more tumblers from his pocket, filled them, and passed them down the table. "Anyone else is going to have to provide his own glass."

"And brandy," Crev said.

Talon shook his head and sighed. "I've yet to meet a military man who's actually willing to pay for a drink."

Tycho snorted. "I've never met one who has to pay."

Wedge lifted his glass. "I'll drink to that."

They all took long sips, smacked their lips, and set the tumblers down.

"Anyway," Tycho continued, "that's ex-military, as of tomorrow."

Han raised an eyebrow. "Skulking back into retirement, huh?"

Tycho shrugged. "It's either that, or Winter leaves me."

"She must have been talking with Iella," Wedge said. "It's a conspiracy."

Han raised his glass again. "To last flings."

They sipped, then fell silent for a moment. Wedge fingered the tumbler through a circle.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for the simple life again. The Alliance will just have to make do with guys like Darklighter, Page, and Cracken."

"Pity the Alliance," Tycho said.

Han regarded the two of them and laughed. "You must have been talking to my son. He's all ready to give up being a Jedi to go farm on Corellia or something."

"Jacen?" Wedge asked. Han shook his head.

"No, Anakin." Han sighed. "Boys' seen more than enough death to last a lifetime. More than any of us, even."

Lando raised his glass. "To the true heroes of the war- those we lost, and those who came back."

"Here, here," Talon said. They drank. As Lando refilled their cups, he glanced over at the meditating Mara Jade, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Is anybody else wierded out by all of this? Alternate realities, copies of ourselves, all of it?"

"Are you kidding?" Wedge replied. "For the past week I've seen myself running around in a strange uniform, making out with a Mandalorian girl. Iella's been looking at me funny, but she knows it's not me."

"Anakin said that some things happened differently over there. You, for example, met the Mando on Yavin, right before they destroyed the first Death Star. Also," he gave a slight shudder, "she happens to be my counterpart's sister."

"It freaks you out that a Solo became a Mandalorian?" Tycho asked.

"No, it freaks me out that, in another reality, Wedge became my brother in law." They all laughed. Han shook his head. "I can't believe she put up with your double for all those years."

"Well, Mando's do have a high tolerance of pain," Booster pointed out.

"Speaking of crazy Mandalorians," Han started, putting his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "I haven't told this to anyone, but I swear on the Falcon that I saw Fett at Caluula, and he did as much as anyone to try to save that station from the Vong."

Lando was staring at him in disbelief. "As in Boba?"

"Of course, Boba - running with a bunch of other guys in Mandalorian armor and jet packs. He even managed to come up with a new Firespray."

Talon touched his mustache. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I heard that that same bunch showed up to help liberate Ord Mantell."

"And Tholatin," Crev said.

"And Gyndine," Booster added.

Lando shook his head, as if to clear it. "Hey, if Pellaeon can be considered an ally, why not a former bounty hunter?"

Crev looked over at Mara Jade. "What's she doing, anyway? Some Jedi thing?"

"Not quite," Han answered. "Anakin told me they're going to have a Slayer's funeral for Faith tonight, and Sekot is allowing them to bring people from Earth over. To make it easier, that Mara is going to open a portal to bring over everyone, and then make another one tomorrow to send all of them back. He also warned me that we'll be seeing more counterparts," he jerked a thumb in Lando's direction, "except you."

"I don't have a double in another dimension?" Lando's voice took on a mock-wounded tone. "I'm hurt."

"No, you do, but Buffy was worried about putting two of you on the same planet at one time."

Lando nodded sagely. "Probably wise. All those good looks might destroy the planet. More powerful than the Death star."

"Hate to be on _that_ trench run," Wedge quipped, and they all laughed.

Han looked up at the darkening sky. "She should be doing it soon. Probably as soon as Luke and the rest of them get back."

"Speak of the devils." Tycho nodded at the tree line as Luke emerged, followed by the Jedi Order.

**

* * *

**

Mara Jade her eyes still closed in concentration, smirked at the Jedi Master behind her. "Would you please calm down?" she asked. "You're ruining my concentration."

Buffy bit back a groan. "Sorry. Just… not looking forward to this particular conversation. With either parties."

"Well, worrying about it won't make it any easier," Mara cocked her head, feeling Anakin Jr.'s return with the rest of the Jedi. "It's time." Buffy nodded absently, and Mara began chanting.

* * *

Han lifted the glass to his lips to drink the last of the brandy, but the glass was deftly plucked from his hand before it reached his lips. Anakin downed the brandy, grimaced slightly, then slammed the glass down on the table. "A man of your age shouldn't be drinking that stuff, dad." He grinned. Behind him, the twins watched on in amusement.

Han scowled at his son. "And a boy of your age shouldn't be drinking period. Last thing we need is a drunk Jedi waving around his lightsaber."

Anakin shrugged. "I'd just use the Force to purge the alcohol from my system."

"That's a nice trick," Talon muttered to Booster, who nodded in agreement. "Think we can set up a drinking game, and have Corran be our ringer?" Talon asked. Booster snorted in amusement.

Han grinned at his son. "I don't think that's what the Force should be used for. Even I know that."

"True, but it would annoy Jacen…" the two laughed, and even Jacen joined in after he lightly cuffed his brother on the back of the head.

"Funny."

There was a bright flash, and all at the table turned to stare in awe at the bright blue portal that had shimmered into existence. It was nearly translucent, and they could see a wood-paneled room on the other side filled with people. Jaws began to drop as, one by one, those people walked through from Earth to Zonama Sekot. Anakin looked over at the group, and shook his head at the gleam in Lando's eye.

"Don't even think about it, Uncle Lando," he said with a grin. Lando looked back, crestfallen.

"Instantaneous transport from one point in space to another? Do you have any idea how much that would be worth?" At Anakin's shaking head, Lando pressed. "I'm not greedy, you know. I'd gladly give you a cut for facilitating a relationship - say, three percent?"

Han snorted in amusement, looking at his old friend. "Not greedy, eh?"

* * *

The first person through was Wesley; followed closely by Aayla Secura. They both moved forward towards Buffy, clearing the way for the Slayers and various Jedi to come through the portal. Buffy gave the two a weak smile.

"You asked to see us, Buffy?" Wesley started politely after giving her a light embrace and a kiss on the cheek. "Funeral arrangements?"

"Not exactly," Buffy admitted, looking back at the portal. "Sir Nigel?"

"Sir Nigel elected to stay back in Leeds, ostensibly to be on hand if any disasters popped up."

"But…"

"But he's relaxing with a very old bottle of brandy in his private office, celebrating the loss of another pain in his arse."

Buffy smirked. "Hope he enjoys it. Because tomorrow he's gonna have the worst hangover in history, I assure you." Turning towards Aayla, she reached into a pouch on her belt and removed an old data chip. She paused and looked at it for a moment, before sighing and handing it over to Aayla. "Do you happen to recall what this is?"

Aayla smirked. "I didn't live on Earth for that long, Master Kenobi. It's a data chip."

Buffy shook her head. "Not just any data chip." She said. "I've held on to this chip since the end of the Clone Wars. Before the end, actually." She nodded as Aayla gasped in recognition. "It's time it went in to effect."

"But…"

"I'll be explaining to the girls later tonight, and to the Jedi as well." Aayla didn't look happy, but nodded in acceptance. "Good. Now, go say goodbye to your husband. Because I plan on killing him in the near future."

"May I ask what he did?"

"He let Andrew out of the box. And no, I don't care how effective they were," she said to Giles, who had come up beside her. She looked down and saw a familiar case in his hand. Looking back up at her former Watcher, she smiled slightly. "Seriously?"

"Before we are all deafened by whatever the rest of the slayers loaded into the stereo, I thought I'd give Faith a proper send-off." Giles glanced over at the portal. "Oh, this should make things more interesting…" Buffy looked up to see Leia - her Leia, followed by Han, Chewie, little Ani and the Twins coming through. She shrugged.

"At least Lando didn't come," she said in mild relief. "I shudder to think what two of them would get up to. She smiled again as she embraced her sister-in-law. "Glad you could make it."

"We couldn't miss this," Leia responded, glancing back at her daughter. Buffy could see how red the girl's eyes were. "Jaina was very close to Faith."

Buffy nodded. "I remembered. I don't know who that upset more - you and Han, or my brother."

Young Jaina had, as many young teens do, went through a rebellious phase and had decided to model herself - for good and ill - off of her favorite aunt: Faith. And while her sparring ability had definitely grown up, so had her attitude and the amount of skimpy or absurdly tight-fitting clothes. When she had shown up to a training session in a low-cut halter top and skin-tight leather pants, Anakin had put his foot down.

"No thirteen year-old girl should be wearing clothes like that," he had stated.

"No thirty year old girl should be wearing clothes like that," Han had mumbled under his breath.

Jaina was now dressed, thankfully, in a simple shirt and trousers, her long brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. She looked up at Buffy with a sad expression.

"She won't come back, will she?" she asked, as much a plea as a statement. Buffy shook her head.

"No, she's at peace now." She glanced over at the pyre that had been built. "She won't be coming back."

* * *

It took a little over an hour for everything to be set up. In the end a semicircle was formed around the pyre - the largest group closest to the fire were the Slayers and Watchers, flanked by the Jedi from the second world; next were the third worlds native Jedi, officers and smugglers that had been on the planet, who had asked to be able to pay their respects and were gladly welcomed; and in the last part of the semi-circle were the second world military and clone troops, many of who had fought beside Faith on a number of battles previous to the retaking of Coruscant. The officers stood in full dress uniforms, the clones in polished armor, their helmets off and held at their sides in respect.

Some of the senior slayers, carrying coolers, walked among the groups, passing out a bottle of beer to all of the attendees - as long as they were of age, much to a young Anakin's grousing. His elder counterpart looked to the younger Jacen, who promptly slapped him on the back of the head.

Anakin found himself with his family, positioned in between his Jedi and the Slayers. He had had his first bit of amusement of the night as he introduced his family to - well, his family, after giving a strict warning that counterparts were not to be touched.

"Thank you for looking after my son," Leia had told her counterpart, who gave a smile in return.

"It was truly my honor. You've raised a wonderful boy."

His father had looked at his counterpart, who was staring passively back at him. "You as wierded out as I am?" he asked. The other Han laughed.

"In this family, it's almost a normal day for us." The other Han had said lightly. Both Anakin's had snickered, but the mood turned immediately somber as bagpipes flared to life and Faith's body was carried into the semi-circle.

* * *

Theresa, a Scottish slayer, played the beautifully somber tune of 'Amazing Grace' as Buffy, Giles, Xander and Angel carried Faith's body in on a simple wooden stretcher. The four, one on each corner, moved slowly and in synch, breaching the semi-circle in the center and moving towards the stone altar that had been constructed for the cremation. As they passed the Clone troopers, the lead Sergeant called out "Company, salute!" and, as one, the clones saluted their fallen comrade.

As Theresa finished, the four remaining original Scoobies laid the pallet onto the altar. The four accepted a beer, and then Giles, Xander and Angel stepped back towards their group, leaving Buffy in the center.

"Friends, sisters, honored comrades in arms," she began, casting a look over all of them, "We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of our sister, Faith Lehane." She paused and took a breath, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "Faith was a…unique…individual. Always outspoken, never ignored. She battled back from the dark path she had taken to become a beacon of light, a patron and protector of her fellow Slayers, and a good friend to many of us here. My own past with Faith is rocky, to say the least. We were both fast friends and mortal enemies. She both fought at my side to protect me, and against me to kill. There was a time that I considered her truly lost, a time when, after all she had done to me, I wanted nothing more than to kill her." She bowed her head in shame, for a moment, then looked back up. "And then, when I too was lost, she came to me. In my darkest hour, she appeared to me to remind me of who, and what, I was. The Slayer. That day, she saved my life."

"It wasn't until I returned that I truly got to know Faith- not the gruff, sexed-up girl I had known back in Sunnydale, but the woman protector she had become."

"Who was still sexed up!" Rona shouted, causing the Slayers to break out into laughter. Buffy gave a small chuckle as well and nodded.

"So true," she agreed. She waited a moment for everyone to calm down, then continued. "Faith was a warrior - she fought for our world, she fought for her girls, she fought against the darkness inside her - the same darkness that resides in all of us. And she was victorious in all three battles - she preserved your rights against the corrupt body that had been the Watcher's Council; she defeated numerous monsters and the First Evil itself to protect our world, and she fought her way back from the darkness that had taken her, never ceasing in her quest for redemption." She turned and looked at the still form of the fallen Slayer. "Faith, my friend, my sister. You have given your life so that others may live. For a Slayer, there is no higher honor. Rest now, my sister; and may you find peace in death that was denied to you in life." Buffy lifted the beer in the air. "To Faith; she was the best of us." she shouted.

"So say we all!" the slayers responded. Then all took a drink.

Buffy moved to Faith, and placed a kiss on her cool forehead. "May all your sins be forgiven, Faith," she said quietly. "May you have died knowing that you had found your redemption." She stepped back and took out a Zippo. It had belonged to Faith, and Buffy had taken it out of her jacket moments before they had brought her body out of the _Falcon's _hold. She fingered it for a moment, feeling the cool metal beneath her flesh hand. Then, with a steely resolve, she flipped open the lid and flicked the wheel, producing a small flame. Without any further fanfare, she tossed it down into the brush surrounding the altar. The flames sparked to life, slowly encircling the body, licking at the still cloth and dead skin. Off to the side, Tara mumbled a few Latin words under her breath and made a few subtle gestures, and suddenly the fire roared high into the sky, completely enveloping Faith. The Jedi and the Soldiers all took an instinctive step back, but the Slayers remained were they were.

Tahiri stared in wide-eyed astonishment at the massive blaze that had suddenly appeared. She glanced over at Anakin who deciphered her look. "Enchanted fire, to make sure there are no remains."

"Why no remains?" she asked.

"Because, apparently, there are people on Earth who can raise the dead for their own ends, and no slayer wants to be in the position of harming any other slayers after their death."

"Oh," she said softly, looking at the altar. The fire had died away, leaving behind nothing but stone and soot.

Buffy turned and looked back to the Slayers. "Now, before the celebration can begin, I do have one announcement. As I said before, in my darkest time Faith reminded me that I was the Slayer. Shortly before she died, she reminded me once more." She took a breath. "Effective immediately, I am stepping down from the Jedi Council and resigning my commission as a Master." There were surprised murmurs from her fellow Masters and Jedi. "And, as I promised Faith, I will be resuming my role as the Senior Slayer." More surprise, this time from the Slayers. "I in no way intend to replace Faith; I never could. But she pointed out to me that I owe it to all of you to be a shoulder to cry on, a teacher to learn from, a friend when you need one. I do this with one regret - that it took so long for me to do this in the first place. And if Sir Nigel doesn't like it, then - as Faith would undoubtedly say-"

The Slayers, as one, finished the thought "Fuck him!"

Buffy laughed. "Well, enough of this sappy shit. Let's get this party started!" she glanced over at Giles, who was seated next to Oz. Both had guitars in their hands. "Rupert?"

Giles smiled and adjusted his guitar. "Before we turn on that blasted stereo, I am aware that Faith was rather fond of my singing. As my farewell to her, Oz and I dedicate this."

The two men started strumming. After a few moments, Giles began to sing.

"There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

"When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven."

Buffy moved over to Obi-Wan, who wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She smiled sadly and tilted her head into his shoulder.

"There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure, 'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.

"In a tree by the brook, There's a songbird who sings. Sometimes all of our thoughts are Misgiven.

"Ooh, it makes me wonder." Giles crooned. "Ooh, it makes me wonder… there's a feeling I get, when I look to the west. And my spirit is crying for leaving. In my thoughts I have seen, rings of smoke through the trees. And the voices of those who stand looking."

Tahiri, taking a cue from Buffy, rested her head on Anakin's shoulder. Anakin responded by wrapping his arm around her and pulling her in closer.

"Ooh, it makes me wonder. Ooh, it really makes me wonder."

"And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune, then the piper will lead us to reason."

"And a new day will dawn, For those who stand long. And the forests will echo with laughter."

"Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, ooh, whoa, oh." The two guitarists crooned.

"If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. It's just a spring clean for the May queen. Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on."

"And it makes me wonder. Aw, uh, oh…"

"Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know. The piper's calling you to join him. Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know, your stairway lies on the whispering wind?"

Giles and Oz broke down on their guitars. Many of the slayers in the audience started nodding their heads in tune to the beat. One or two of the slayers even lit lighters held them up in the air.

"And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our soul. There walks a lady we all know. Who shines white light and wants to show, how everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard, the truth will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all, to be a rock and not to roll."

Oz's guitar trailed off, leaving Giles playing alone. "And she's buying a stairway…to heaven..." Giles finished playing, and the slayers and Jedi applauded.

And then the party really started.

* * *

The party carried on late into the night. Music blared from the stereo mystically powered thanks to Tara; a mixture of classic rock and rap tunes that Faith had liked. For the most part Anakin stayed close to his family and rarely left Tahiri's side. The slayers celebrated late into the night drafting the clone troopers and the dancing with them. At one point in the evening Kyp wandered over and started chatting with Anakin.

"So," Anakin said to the Jedi master, "some party, eh?"

Kyp laughed. "This is definitely the most rambunctious party I've ever been to." The Jedi master looked around. "Is this a normal funeral?"

Anakin nodded. "Slayers normally lead very short, very violent lives. They all decided that instead of mourning a death, they would celebrate the life of the fallen slayer."

Kyp nodded. "You very wise idea," he said.

Later still, Anakin left his family and wandered around the camp site. He found Vi at the edge of the site, watching the Slayers dance to Johnny Cash. He came up to her and nudged her. "Hey, sis."

Vi smiled back. "Hey, yourself."

"Whatcha doing?"

"Just getting up the nerve for my dance," she replied. "I've danced at half a dozen funerals, you know. It's tradition." She sighed. "It's just… I never thought I'd be dancing for Faith, you know?"

Anakin nodded. "I'll dance with you, if you want. No point of letting all of those dance lessons go to waste." He joked. The two laughed, and then were silent for a time.

"We go home tomorrow," Vi said suddenly.

Anakin nodded. "Us, too. Sekot is going back to the Unknown Regions." He shook his head.

"What will you do then? Buy that farm you were talking about?"

Anakin shook his head. "I'd like to. But I just can't leave the clean up to Uncle Luke and the rest of the Jedi." He sighed in resignation. "There's still a lot of work to be done. And I'll help out for as long as it takes."

"Just don't forget to live a little, eh?" Vi replied. She looked at him. "You know that you're always welcome to come over, right? All of you."

Anakin nodded. "I know."

"Good. But that makes this even more awkward to say." She took a breath. "I want to ask a favor of you."

"Anything."

"I don't want you to come over for one year."

There was a beat. "And here I thought I was always welcome…"

"You are," vi responded earnestly. "But please, hear me out on this." She took his hands in her own. "You suffered severe, traumatic injuries. You spent two years recovering on Earth, getting accustomed to our world. But it's not your world, not your dimension." She glanced around. "This is. And you need time, whether you realize it or not, to get re-acclimated to it. You need time to reconnect with your family, with your friends." Her gaze settled on Tahiri, who was animatedly talking with Corran Horn. "And you need time to build a proper relationship with your girl."

Anakin stared at Tahiri as well for a long moment. Then his gaze shifted to his father, who as having a talk with Chewbacca while Han's counterpart watched on. He hoped that the other Han didn't have to go through what his dad had gone through with Chewie's death. He sighed once more.

"Fine. One year," he agreed. "But I expect you to write, or promise or not I'll come over there and thump ya."

Vi gave a sad smile as she embraced her would-be brother. Then her smile brightened and she jumped to her feet, dragging him with her. "Ok, mopey time is over. Time to dance." She started to drag him with her, but he put on the breaks.

"Whoa, wait!"

"Wait what? You said you'd dance with me!"

"I was joking!" he exclaimed. Vi just shrugged her shoulders.

"Too bad. You're dancing, and that's that."

Anakin struggled against her hold briefly, then let out an exasperated groan. "Oh, I'm never gonna live this down…."

* * *

Their departure was a bit quieter than their arrival. Mostly thanks to hangovers.

The clone troopers had left around midnight, shuttled back up to the awaiting Battlestars by Sekotan transports. Padmè and Xander had left with them, and the two massive war ships jumped back to their home dimension. Xander had wanted to get his court-martial over with, and Padmè wanted to make sure it never even happened.

As soon as the sun rose over the cooling world, Mara had once more opened a portal, and the Slayers- a bit groggy, and very hung over, had nevertheless moved swiftly and efficiently in moving everything they brought back through to Earth. Goodbyes were exchanged and tears were spilt, especially when Chewie gave Han, Leia, the twins and Anakin one last, long hug each before stepping through the shimmering portal. Finally all that were left were Buffy, Dawn, the elder Anakin, and Vi. Dawn gave Anakin Jr. a long hug.

"Take care of yourself," she said with a smile. "I won't be around to save your butt again."

"Nag, nag, nag," Anakin joked, and Dawn laughed. She wished the others goodbye, then stepped through the portal to Earth.

Buffy gave Luke a brief hug. "You got a hell of a nephew," she told him. Luke nodded.

"I know."

"We left you a little something onboard the _Falcon_," Anakin Sr. said, hugging Luke as well. "Shouldn't take you too long to find it."

"We hope you put it to good use," Buffy added. She moved over to Jaina, and gave her a serious look. "I want you to remember something, Jaina. And remember this well. Just because you have a destiny doesn't mean you shouldn't live a little." She grasped the young Jedi shoulders. "Even a sword needs to be sheathed every now and then."

Jaina nodded. "I'll remember that. I promise."

Buffy moved to Jacen and hugged him as well. "You look a lot like your grandfather. And not that overgrown beanstalk behind me."

"Hey!"

Buffy smiled, then handed him a PPG. "Take some time to yourself. When the light turns green, the PPG will be able to bring you to Earth whenever you want. I expect to see you there in a few months."

"I look forward to it," he replied.

Buffy moved finally to Anakin and hugged him tightly. After a few moments, she moved away. "Try not to get into too much trouble," she admonished lightly.

"Hey, it's me!" he protested. Buffy gave him a rather droll look, then turned to Tahiri.

"Try and keep him out of trouble?" she asked her. Tahiri gave an exaggerated sigh.

"I'll see what I can do."

The two Skywalkers smiled, then moved through the portal. Now only Vi remained.

"So," she said, looking at the assembled Jedi. "This is goodbye."

"For now," Anakin assured her. Then he moved forwards and enveloped her in a crushing hug. "You take care of yourself, you hear?"

"You too, Junior," she laughed at his exasperated sigh. "I know, I know. Don't call you Junior."

Anakin smiled and stepped back. "See you on the other side." He said. Vi nodded, then turned and walked towards the portal. She stopped just before it, turned and gave a small wave, then grinned devilishly. Then there was a flash of green light and a loud boom as Vi teleported through the open portal. The last thing Anakin could here before the portal closed for good was an exchange between mother and daughter.

"VIOLET WILLOW JUKASSA!"

"WHAT?"

Then there was silence. Anakin chuckled and shook his head.

"One story ends, and another begins," Jacen remarked as the Jedi broke up, heading back to various craft to depart Zonama Sekot before it departed once more.

"And how does this story begin?" Mara asked Jacen. But it was Anakin who answered.

"By rebuilding," he said simply. He placed an arm around Tahiri. "But for now, let's go home." He started leading her towards the Falcon, then stopped and looked confusedly back at his parents. "Uh, where is home nowadays, anyway?"

**To Be Concluded…**


End file.
